When Morning Comes
by Prpl Grl
Summary: After a night of partying, Shikamaru finds himself in bed with his best bed buddy, but will his secret fantasies finally become reality? AU, Language, Yaoi !Mature Audiences ONLY!
1. Lost Confusion

Lost Confusion

Shikamaru flushed the toilet, one hand planted firmly onto the counter beside the porcelain seat to maintain his balance. He carefully stepped to the side, looking at his reflection in the mirror. His vision spun a bit at the movement and a small groan slipped passed his lips at seeing the messed up hair free from its tie, the flushed cheeks and dark eyes unable to fully focus on anything.

He was drunk. He had realized too late that maybe that last shot of vodka had been too much when they left the bar. Not that he hadn't been worse before; his own twenty-first birthday party had been a lot of fun… the parts he could remember anyway. That night his father had gotten him smashed and most of the celebration had been forgotten. He knew this was something he could handle.

Shikamaru knew this couldn't be healthy, though. His birthday was only a week and a half ago… or was it longer? His alcohol buzzed brain couldn't really concentrate on it. All he did know at the moment was that it was Naruto Uzumaki's twenty-first birthday and that's why he was currently in the bathroom of the blonde's house, trying to remember if he had actually peed or if it had been his imagination.

The Nara took a moment to think on it and decided that his bladder seemed sufficed for the moment and stumbled to the door. He had to brace his weight on the frame as the door swung open and he peered into the dark hallway with a drunken confusion.

Fuck. Which way was Naruto's room again? He couldn't even recall how he'd gotten to the bathroom in the first place. Shikamaru groaned again and ran a hand over his flushed face in frustration; no more drinking for a while.

Choosing the left, the Nara quietly stumbled into the hallway, running his hand along the wall to stabilize himself. He concentrated as much as he could on putting one foot in front of the other, not wanting to fall and have his equally drunken friends stagger into the hallway just to laugh at him. Even though inebriated, Shikamaru still had some pride left.

His hand ran over a bumpy surface and landed on something different from the wallpaper. Was it a door? He reached further down and came across a cool, metal knob. Yup, it was a door. He carefully turned the knob and slowly pushed the wood in.

Shikamaru was greeted with more darkness; had Naruto, Kiba and Shino gone to bed? Was he gone that long? He could barely see into the room, but was able to pick up the faint outline of a bed and spiky, golden locks shooting up from the person beneath the covers.

Naruto's room, it had to be. Shino and Kiba were probably sleeping on the other side.

Quietly shutting the door, the intoxicated Nara stumbled to the bed, nearly falling onto it. His blonde friend startled easily and he didn't want to have to deal with that mess. Trying to be as careful as someone drunk could be, Shikamaru slipped under the covers and stretched out to get comfortable, inhaling deeply to try and calm his spinning mind for sleep.

It wasn't that easy, however. Was it just him, or was _that_ smell surrounding him even more pronounced than usual? It was a scent that had been burned into his memory after years of pining, waiting and watching the man he so desperately wanted but could never have. Naruto would sometimes smell of him, but it had never been this strong before. A small tremor rippled deliciously down the Nara's spine, settling firmly in his groin and arousing a part of his body that shouldn't be aroused when this intoxicated.

Shikamaru turned his head to look at the man beside him. Even in the little amount of light, he could still see the bright blonde hair upon the pillow; it looked like Naruto needed a haircut. The gorgeous locks rested beautifully on the fabric, almost teasingly begging the Nara to run his fingers through them.

Maybe it was his imagination; the Uzumaki never let his hair get more out of control than it already was. Perhaps in his drunken state, Shikamaru's mind was taking the smallest thing and turning it into what he desired most. It did make sense to him, and he moved his hand beneath the blanket to gently caress the back facing him.

'…_so soft._' Had Naruto's skin ever felt so silky before? Shikamaru couldn't recall, not that he could ever remember his sexual experiences with his blonde friend clearly anyway.

They were fuck buddies and good friends, but their sex was… different than most people, the Nara supposed. It had long been established that they didn't want a serious relationship from each other, so they agreed to imagine having sex with another when they were together. That's the way it had always been.

Shikamaru didn't have to imagine much to be with the person he truly wanted.

He turned onto his side, carefully scooting closer to the blonde next to him; both hands gliding over the sun kissed flesh now, loving the warm and smooth feel beneath his fingers. It was turning him on in a way he had never felt before, but he figured that could probably be the alcohol still flowing within his system. He was only slightly surprised that it didn't bother him, not if it made his imagination seem this real.

The man beside him stirred a bit before his body tensed. The Nara almost wanted to laugh; Naruto never did like it when Shikamaru did this. The blonde head turned, causing his body to lie flat on his back as eyes the color of the deepest ocean filled with confusion locked onto drunken, amused and lust-filled dark orbs.

One golden eyebrow rose. "Shikamaru?"

Said man released a shaky breath. Yes, that's what his name would sound like falling from those perfect lips; sending a pleasant wave across every nerve in his body and causing a smirk to pull at his own lips. He slowly straddled the blonde, pressing their bare torsos together and grinding the erection confined in his boxers against the other's groin. Shikamaru kissed along that slender neck; very similar to his friend's but still so different.

"Shikamaru," that sexy voice repeated, another shiver running down the Nara's spine, "what are you doing?"

Yes, that's what he would ask. Shikamaru moaned softly against the tasty flesh before him as the feel of the one beneath him hardening. "What do you think?" he whispered, hoping it sounded as alluring as he wanted it to.

A very quiet groan was breathed passed his ear, and the Nara mentally congratulated himself as the blonde started thrusting his hips to meet him. "Ah… we shouldn't…."

'_That's it, play the part._' "Why not?" Shikamaru almost whined, his hands finding those strong, slightly-broader-than-Naruto's shoulders, his lips and tongue reaching to tease a delectable earlobe.

"Well…." Another moan sounded in the Nara's ear and he shuddered once more. "Shikamaru," _gods_ how he loved the way his name rolled over the blonde's tongue, "you're drunk."

_Perfect_. That was the first word it his mind; the whole situation was perfect, just as he had imagined it so many times before. '_Damn, I need to fuck Naruto when I'm drunk more often._' "So?" he replied hotly into the other's ear, gently planting kisses along a soft cheek, stopping when their lips were only millimeters apart. Dark eyes opened to gaze down into lust-filled blue orbs. "Take what you can get," Shikamaru whispered, lowering his head to tenderly kiss the blonde beneath him.

His body trembled at the contact; had Naruto's kisses been this… electrifying before? He allowed a moan to escape him as the blonde's arms tentatively wrapped around him, holding him tightly to the other's body.

Yes, this is what Shikamaru had wanted for so long, even if it was just a figment of his imagination. He moved his hips a bit faster as their lips remained locked together. The blonde's tongue grazed the Nara's lips and he gladly parted them, shocked once again at how the other man's taste aroused him more than Naruto's ever had. They seemed to stay like that for a long while, but Shikamaru was having a little trouble calculating time; his mind was still spinning from the alcohol and was too busy simply enjoying the taste, feel and smell of the man beneath him to wonder about such silly things.

A low growl rippled up his tongue and into his mouth, and Shikamaru's brain spun further out of control as he was flipped onto his back, the blonde taking control of the situation and rubbing their groins together almost too roughly.

The Nara gasped at the pleasure, tilting his head away when those plump lips left his and moved down to his neck. He couldn't help but squirm beneath the hands running along his body, almost trying to memorize every curve, every dip of his skin the blonde could grasp. It didn't bother Shikamaru in the least that Naruto hadn't touched him like that in a long time; they'd had enough sex over the past few years to know each other's bodies pretty well. It didn't matter. The man he really wanted would need to explore and touch him in ways Shikamaru never thought possible because that's who he was, the Nara was sure of it.

Shikamaru slapped a hand over his mouth to stifle a startled yelp of surprise. When had the blonde gotten into his boxers? How fast had he moved to pull the fabric away from his skin and then suddenly engulf his hardened shaft into that gloriously hot and wet mouth? Maybe being drunk wasn't the best during sex. He was slightly disappointed with himself for not paying attention, but knew that having his dream feel so real was worth it right now. Yes, to feel like he was actually having sex with _him_, the one man Shikamaru knew he could never have and would never tell Naruto he cared about so deeply, it was all worth it.

He gasped again as the blonde's mouth moved over him, almost bringing him to completion, but the welcome heat moved away not quite slow enough before those lips were on his own once more.

The Nara arched his back into the body atop his as a slick finger slid into his body. "Fuck yes," he whispered, thrusting his hips back onto the blonde's hand. It was almost too good to be true as a second digit was soon to follow. There was no pain, but again Shikamaru blamed the booze and decided to just go with it. If he was really sore in the morning, he'd just clobber Naruto upside the head and let it go.

This image was worth it, after all.

He released a frustrated moan as a third finger was entered into him. It felt good, but he wanted something bigger and much more pleasing. Looking up into those perfectly blue eyes, which were so similar to Naruto's yet still completely different, as he imagined, Shikamaru silently pleaded, thrusting his hips a bit faster onto the blonde's fingers and slightly whining. "Take me."

Shikamaru's answer was those supple lips crashing down onto his own and the digits being removed from his body. He was pressed firmly into the mattress as the blonde's erection slowly entered his stretched hole.

Had Naruto always been this big? The Nara knew he was in no way small, but this… seemed somewhat different. The blonde was filling him in a way he didn't think he could ever be filled, and once again Shikamaru found himself loving his imagination while drunk.

A small cry left his throat, only to be swallowed up by the man atop him as the blonde began thrusting hard into his body. Fuck, he was not going to last long. The strokes were powerful and very accurate; even better than he imagined and had more superior aim than Naruto had ever done to him.

It had to be a dream. His imagination had run away so far that this had to be a dream. Shikamaru knew that reality could not be this good. It almost made him feel like he would be able to die happy once it was done, and he refused to think that it wasn't real, just to hold on to that feeling as long as he could.

He was going to come. Fuck, the blonde pounding into him was too fucking good and he couldn't hold back any longer. Shikamaru bit his bottom lip to try and quell the noises that wanted to escape him. He couldn't let them; he was sure that if he continued to make such sounds, he would end up saying the man's name, the one he truly desired. That was strictly forbidden. He and Naruto kept their desired ones secret and neither wanted to know who the other was thinking of while they had sex. No, Shikamaru could not say his name, he wouldn't….

The blonde's thrusts became harder and faster, causing the Nara to whimper. It was torture! How could he not speak of the one he so desperately wanted to give him pleasure? He knew Naruto would skin him alive if he ever let it slip who he loved and admired and lusted after. Shikamaru had kept it so well hidden for so long; he couldn't let his control slip through his fingers, not now!

The man above him panted into the Nara's ear, body tensing as he came, a moan slipping passed his lips, "Shikamaru…."

His control shattered. Hearing _that_ voice moan _his_ name as he reached his _orgasm_ from having _sex_ with _Shikamaru_, he couldn't contain it any longer. The Nara's own body tensed as he climaxed, back arching and hands running along the perfectly sculpted chest atop him, the name escaping him against his will, "Minato!"

Shikamaru's head spun as if he'd had more liquor and he panted heavily, hoping that his friend had been too enthralled within his own orgasm to notice his slip. He knew he shouldn't have said it, but it was partially Naruto's fault for calling his name first. That was the excuse he planned to give the blonde before he killed him, which he knew was going to happen. How would anyone feel when they find out one of their best friends was secretly in love with their father?

The Nara slowly opened his eyes; maybe the other had passed out. However, he saw the scar less face with blue eyes staring down at him in a curious way. It appeared his imagination was still supplying his exhausted mind with what he wanted to see. Shikamaru smiled a little. He might as well finish the fantasy.

Raising a shaky hand up, he cupped a soft cheek, dark eyes gazing intently into the blonde's. "I love you," he whispered as his mind finally fell into the darkness of sleep.

Shikamaru groaned as the bright rays of the sun began beating against his eyelids, trying to force them to open. '_Fucking sun._' He turned over and pulled the blanket over his head, sighing heavily. Whatever time it was, somehow he knew it was too early to get up, if the pounding in his head was any indication.

…what was that smell? Wasn't that the same scent, which followed Minato Namikaze everywhere? Why would it be so strong in Naruto's room?

Shikamaru's eyes flew open as the smell brought memories from the night before crashing into his mind. He jolted upright, immediately regretting the action as the pain in his head throbbed. He ignored it, squinting against the little bit of light that was peering in from the closed curtains and realized that he wasn't in Naruto's bedroom. He barely recognized this room.

The Nara looked toward the door as it opened, and one Minato Namikaze walked inside, softly closing the door behind him and strolled up to the bed, handing the younger man a pill and a glass of water with a small smile.

"Good afternoon, Shikamaru," the older blonde gently greeted. Shikamaru was surprised he was able to hold back the urge to shiver at the sound of his voice as he took the offerings.

Giving only a small nod, the younger man gulped down the small white pill and took a few sips of water, eyes darting around almost nervously. He could still detect a faint scent of sex in the air and his ass was a little sore. It was confirmed; someone had pounded his ass the night before, but he wasn't really sure who. Shikamaru was positive that he'd been imagining things. He had sex with Naruto.

'_Maybe not,_' he decided as his gaze locked with that of the blonde beside the bed. Minato looked a bit worried and a small blush had blossomed cutely across his cheeks.

After a moment of further silence, the older man sighed and sat himself onto the edge of the bed. "Shikamaru," he started, blue eyes looking very seriously into the Nara's slightly frightened dark ones, "we need to talk about the sex we had last night."

…oh, fuck.


	2. Talks Over Hangovers

Talks Over Hangovers

Shikamaru had come to the conclusion that the situation he was currently in definitely had a bright side to it. Of course, it had taken nearly an hour and a full cup of coffee to finally realize it. It seemed to take even longer to filter through the choppy memories he had from the night before. He was slightly irritated that most of what he could recall were merely thoughts and feelings accompanied by very few visual aids, which did not help in confirming for him who exactly it was he'd slept with. The hung-over man had to take into account that he'd woken up in Minato's bedroom, smelling of sex, ass sore, and the man himself saying they needed to talk about it. Being able to slowly put all of the information together, Shikamaru had one conclusion; he did have drunken sex with the man he secretly loved.

Well, not so secret anymore, but that was actually the bright side. He smiled a little at knowing he hadn't told Naruto he loved Minato Namikaze; his secret was still perfectly hidden from his blonde friend. Thinking of the darker side made Shikamaru frown again; he still couldn't believe that he told Minato how he felt. Of all the things he could recall from the night before, the Nara remembered that the clearest. He could almost still see those gorgeous blue eyes looking down at him in silent curiosity, bright yellow spikes of hair looking even more disheveled than usual, cheeks flushed from pleasure, small beads of sweat falling delicately down his handsome face….

"Fuck!" Shikamaru hissed, pulling his stinging hand from the hot mug he had reached for on the table. He shook his head almost violently, trying to get that very arousing image out of his mind for a moment as he rubbed his hand, hoping it wouldn't be burned.

Thankfully, Minato had agreed to have the actual "talk" after the younger man had gotten a little more out of his hangover. Shikamaru was sitting in the kitchen, trying to figure out what to do as he tried to chase away his headache with another aspirin and more coffee to get rid of the drowsiness. The focus of his mind and heart was currently upstairs, checking on his son and more than likely hung-over friends.

Shikamaru sighed and carefully took a sip of the steaming liquid. He was not looking forward to having this talk with Minato; what was he supposed to say? How much did the older man really need to know? …how would he ultimately react?

Fortunately, the Nara knew Minato's personality somewhat and predicted that he wouldn't go crazy over what happened. He was a very straightforward and logical guy, much like Shikamaru, and would want all the information he could gather and then make the best choice for them both.

It was one of the things that had drawn Shikamaru's attention.

His thoughts were interrupted as Naruto and Kiba stumbled into the kitchen, both looking a little worse for wear. The blonde plopped down beside the Nara and stole his coffee, eagerly drinking down the unsweetened drink with a grimace as the Inuzuka reached for the mug with a groan.

Shikamaru sighed in mock frustration and got up to grab three more cups for his friends, knowing they liked to "better" their coffee by dousing it with sugar and creamers. He preferred his strong and black, much to the other's disgust. He raised a questioning eyebrow as he poured the coffee out for them, noticing one to be missing. "Where's Shino?" he asked quietly.

Naruto actually pulled off a half smile while Kiba laid his head on the table with another groan.

"I think we're too much for Shino," the blonde replied just as quietly, swaying a bit in his seat. "He's puking his guts out right now."

Shikamaru scowled a little. "Is he all right?"

The other shrugged. "Like I said, it was probably too much for him. He'll be fine after some more sleep."

The Inuzuka raised his head a bit to give Shikamaru a curious gaze. "Speaking of sleep, where the hell did you go, Shikamaru?"

"…what?" said man replied, trying to figure out if that question he had been asked actually made sense or not.

Naruto stood and slowly walked to the fridge as Kiba leaned closer to the Nara. "Where… did… you… go?" he asked again, tone sleepy. "You like completely disappeared last night."

"Yeah," the blonde agreed, placing a few different creamers onto the table and grabbing the sugar before sitting again. "You went to use the bathroom and never came back."

"…oh." Shikamaru had to think on that for a moment. Was that how he'd wound up in Minato's bedroom? He couldn't really remember a whole lot before the actual sex. Clearing his throat to halt the lovely and arousing images, the Nara picked up his half empty cup of coffee. "…I guess I got lost and passed out in the first bedroom I came across." He took a sip.

Naruto nodded but looked a little confused. His blue eyes stared hard at his friend while Kiba went to pouring creamer into his drink. "But the only bedroom other than mine is dad's."

Shikamaru nodded. "Well that's where I woke up." He watched the other from the corner of his eye as the blonde's lips stretched into a smile and he began to chuckle.

"In my dad's room? Oh man, I wish I could have been there! The look on his face would have been priceless!" Naruto began laughing loudly.

'_No, you don't,_' the Nara thought as Kiba flinched and put his hand over his friend's mouth to quiet him. He laid his head on the blonde's shoulder, muttering something softly before his hand fell from Naruto's face to land in his lap. It looked like the Inuzuka had fallen asleep.

Naruto chuckled again. "Maybe we were too much for Kiba, too," he whispered, wrapping an arm around the other man's shoulders.

Shikamaru merely shook his head and took another sip of his coffee. He'd always known that in the end, their dog loving friend was mostly talk. He would always try and live up to what he says, but his ass would get handed back to him almost every time, much to the amusement of the people around him. He was strong when it mattered most, though, and that's all he really needed to be.

Silence reined for a few minutes as the Inuzuka slept quietly against the blonde, who was grinning and carefully drinking his coffee. The Nara was almost afraid to think too much; he knew how sensitive one's hearing could be during a hangover and was fearful that he might think too loud and wake up their slumbering friend. He smiled at the thought and returned to his own coffee.

"Shino will be all right," Minato announced, suddenly appearing behind them and speaking a little too loudly, causing the three to jump.

Kiba sat straight up with a snort. "I didn't mean to fuck Akamaru mom, I swear!"

After the initial shock from the older blonde's entrance, Shikamaru, Naruto and his father looked at the startled Inuzuka with amused curiosity. A very dark blush crept onto Kiba's cheeks as he looked back at them a moment, seeming to realize what he'd said before turning away and sipping his flavored coffee, refusing to say anything more.

"I put Shino back into your bed, Naruto," Minato continued after an awkward moment of silence. He walked around to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water from it, bright blue eyes sparkling at them. Shikamaru had to look away to keep the blush on his cheeks from appearing. "I think we should let him sleep for another hour or two before letting him go home."

"That is an excellent idea," Kiba agreed, getting up from his seat and meandering out of the kitchen. "I'll go and make sure he doesn't get up."

Naruto sighed as they heard the Inuzuka almost stomping up the stairs. "I'd better go and keep an eye on him," he mumbled, standing from his seat. "Even though he's hung-over, Kiba might still hump Shino in his sleep." Grabbing his coffee, the Uzumaki left the kitchen.

Shikamaru's gaze slowly fell onto the older man standing in the room. His heart began to beat a little faster as Minato took the chair his son had been occupying.

"Feeling any better?" the blonde asked, blue eyes looking over the other with a bit of concern.

Shikamaru turned away, trying to hide the small blush that wanted to creep onto his face. "…a little," he murmured, gulping down the last of his coffee. "At least my headache's gone."

"Good," Minato replied softly, taking a sip from his water bottle. "Then maybe you're up to having that talk." It sounded like a statement and his voice held a bit of a harsh tone, indicating to the younger man that there was no turning back. He was going to talk.

The Nara merely sighed, his mind in a slight form of panic. He stared at his empty mug, waiting patiently for the other to start while telling himself to tread very carefully; he didn't want to upset the man beside him.

"How much of last night do you actually remember?" the blonde began, blue eyes focused on the sweating bottle in his hand.

Shikamaru scowled a bit at the question. "To be honest," he replied, taking great effort into keeping his voice as neutral sounding as possible, "I remember what happened with you the clearest. The rest of the night is pretty much a blur."

There was a long moment of silence. The Nara was grateful it wasn't very awkward as he waited patiently for the questioning to continue.

"Then you knew you were having sex with me," Minato finally stated.

The younger man shook his head, turning his gaze back to the man he was so in love with and nearly blushed when his eyes locked onto deep ocean colored orbs, looking so… tenderly and seriously into his own. "I uhm…." He had to avert his eyes back to the table; the older man's eyes were just too damn arousing! "I thought it was a dream. It was too good to be true; I didn't believe it could have been real at all."

Another few minutes of silence followed, this time Shikamaru was feeling just the tiniest bit nervous. How could one look from the older man do this to him? He could feel the anxiety start to rise from nowhere, thoughts of panic racing through his mind at lightning speed. '_You idiot! You should have said yes, I knew it was you! If you're going to keep things from him, then you might as well tell all out lies!_' He flinched at the last thought. A small part of the Nara knew he'd have to tell the blonde everything, including the fact that he'd been sleeping with his son, but felt that it wasn't necessary right now. He was sure there would be a more… _appropriate_ time to speak of that later.

"Did you mean what you said?"

It was a quiet whisper that slipped past those pretty lips almost uncertainly. Shikamaru once again focused on the blonde next to him. His gorgeous eyes were still locked onto him, only now they were filled with something the younger man couldn't quite identify. There was some confusion and an emotion the blonde was trying to suppress… was it hope? The thought made him shiver; this time he didn't look away.

"I wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true, drunk or not," Shikamaru said softly, his heart beating faster with every passing second. "I-… I love you, Minato Namikaze."

There was a flicker of light within those blue orbs as the older man turned away, and the Nara wondered what that meant.

After another minute of quietly thinking, the blonde slightly shrugged. "Are you saying you want to be with me, Shikamaru?"

The younger man gazed at the table again, not daring to hope. "…I would like to be. It's okay, though, if you don't," he added quickly, voice quivering a little in nervousness. "I'll understand if you say no; it's totally up to you, Minato."

Did he just see the blonde shiver at the sound of his name? It must have been his imagination… but since when had that been extremely reliable? Shikamaru almost didn't want to think it, but… could it be that the older man possibly… felt the same way?

He shook his head at the thought. '_Don't get your hopes up,_' he mentally berated himself, '_that's how you get into things too deeply._'

"Well," the blonde finally replied, slightly startling the Nara, "you definitely have gained my attention."

Shikamaru couldn't help but smirk, the remark falling from his lips before his brain could stop it, "I gained more than that last night."

Minato chuckled, turning to gaze amusedly at the younger man, a light red tinge spreading on his face. "I must say, though," he whispered, "you do look pretty hot with your hair down."

The Nara nodded, smirk growing into a small smile. "Thanks, and you're really cute when you blush." He did so enjoy watching how the color started at the top of each cheek, then reached down to the very tip of the blonde's nose as the ocean colored eyes drifted away in embarrassment as he mumbled a thank you. It really was adorable. "So you're willing to give me a shot?"

The blonde gave him a long, considering look for a moment. "Tell you what, next weekend, Naruto is going to some big concert with Kiba, Sakura and Lee, which means I'll have the house all to myself Friday and Saturday night. Why don't we get together for something on Friday night and then hang out on Saturday and take it from there."

Shikamaru raised a curious eyebrow. "You're not going to tell Naruto about this?"

Minato shrugged. "I don't want to get him all worked up over it, especially if it turns out to be nothing serious. It can wait until he gets back."

"…All right, sounds like a plan." The Nara had to work pretty hard to not jump into the air and hug and kiss the man next to him. He was getting a _date_! After all that time of wishing and wanting and lonely nights with his hand and a vibrator he was finally going to go on a _date with Minato_! The smile on his face remained for a long while afterward. He couldn't wait to be able to take his blonde Adonis out for some fun.

…now, where was he going to take him?


	3. The Date of a Lifetime

The Date of a Lifetime

"Damn it!" Shikamaru cursed, throwing down another shirt into the discarded pile. He had absolutely no clothes. His closet was completely bare, a mountain of shirts that he thought could have been what he wanted was piled not too gracefully on his bed, the rejected ones strewn about the floor, accompanied by jeans filled with holes, or pants that were too nice. It didn't help that he had no idea where he would be going.

The Nara had spoken with Minato and they had decided that the blonde would take Shikamaru out for dinner on Friday night and then Shikamaru would treat Minato to some fun on Saturday. The older man never told his date where they'd be having dinner, however, and the Nara was at a complete loss as to what to wear. Many of the clothes he had just seemed too casual, while others were too formal. The fact that he had absolutely no sense with fashion didn't help the situation any.

Shikamaru growled in frustration as another freshly rejected shirt landed on the floor. There was a slight chuckle from his door, and he turned just in time to see the flash of a camera go off. "Dad!" he almost shouted, rubbing his eyes a bit to get the spots to go away.

Shikaku merely smiled at his son, lowering the camera and gazing in amusement at the messy room. "Haven't you chosen what to wear yet?" he asked sarcastically, greatly enjoying teasing his boy. "Minato will be here soon, Shikamaru, you'd better hurry up."

The younger Nara glared at his father before forcing his attention back to the pile on his bed. "I know, dad! Just let me figure this out! I don't even know where we're going!"

The older man laughed. "Just wait until he gets here, then wear something similar to what he's wearing."

Shikamaru continued to glare. "You're not helping!" he snapped, chucking the recent rejection at his father, who ducked.

"Touchy, touchy," he scolded, smile still plastered on his face. "You better not act this way when your date gets here."

The younger man sighed heavily, digging into the mountain once more. He knew he was just frustrated and taking it out on his father; not that he didn't deserve it. In all reality, it didn't really bother him that he couldn't find anything to wear or that his father was teasing him to the point of annoyance. Ever since Yoshino passed away, Shikaku had taken it upon himself to document every aspect of his son's life; taking pictures and being involved in everything. Shikaku had been ecstatic that his son had finally confessed to the love of his life, even though he and Minato Namikaze had grown up together and were nearly the same age. As long as his son was happy, it didn't bother Shikaku one bit.

Just as it didn't bother Shikamaru. What he was really bothered by was the fact that he was acting like a schoolgirl going on her first prom date. He found himself fretting over the tiniest things with the clothing and it was becoming quite irritating.

"What's wrong with that shirt?" Shikaku asked as his son tossed another garment to the floor.

"It doesn't really fit me right."

"And those pants?"

"The bottoms are frayed."

"What about that sweater?"

"It's supposed to be warm out tonight."

"This blue shirt is nice."

"Dad, that's the shirt I wore to mom's funeral."

"That doesn't mean you can't wear it ever again."

"It's too formal!"

Both men froze as the sound from the door bell rang up the staircase. Shikamaru could feel the blood drain from his face a little as he grabbed the digital clock sitting on the nightstand. "Shit, he's twenty minutes early!" He could feel himself starting to panic. Somehow he just knew his very first date with the man he loved was going to be a disaster. He turned to his father and shooed him from his room. "Stall him! I'll be down in a little bit."

Shikaku chuckled as he was shoved from the room, giving his son a last look of amusement before the door was slammed in his face. The younger Nara got to work, quickly grabbing clothes and deciding just to throw something together. Just as he was about to grab a tie, his parent yelled up to him, "Your date's here, Shikamaru! He's nicely casual!"

Shikamaru sighed in defeat, releasing the tie and undoing the top two buttons on his shirt. After a quick once over in the mirror, the reality of the whole situation was starting to hit him. He was actually going on a date… with Minato. A smile spread on his face as he left his room. Taking a deep breath at the top of the stairs, the Nara walked down the steps, hoping to make the right impression on the man who held his heart.

It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Minato had taken him to one of the nicer restaurants in town, someplace that guaranteed they wouldn't run into any of Shikamaru's friends. The food had been extremely good and Shikamaru found the company to be very pleasing. The blonde was great at striking up a conversation without leaving anything awkward or tense around them. The younger man was even surprised when his love started flirting with him. He couldn't help but blush as the blonde spoke and greatly enjoyed the short time they were together.

Shikamaru was a little disappointed when they left the restaurant and the older man told him that he'd take him home. The Nara was really hoping to be able to spend the night with Minato; he wanted to remember _everything_ this time.

"Don't sulk, Shikamaru," Minato said with a smile as they drove out of the parking lot. "I already know how you are in bed. I want to know other aspects about you."

A small smirk tugged at a corner of the younger man's mouth. "You know what it's like when I'm drunk; I'm much better sober." He glanced at the other, smirk growing at the blush that touched the blonde's cheeks.

"I'm sure there will be a time and place, Shikamaru."

'_I'll make sure there is._' Silence followed, but the Nara couldn't help but imagine all the things he could do to Minato, to tease and seduce the man into wanting what Shikamaru wanted and just as badly.

Before he knew it, the blonde had pulled up to the younger man's house, parking the car on the curb.

"When will you get me tomorrow?" Minato asked as he climbed out of the vehicle.

Shikamaru unbuckled his seat belt and opened the door, stepping onto the sidewalk leading up to the front door. "I'm not sure," he replied, walking with the older man toward the house. "Is ten too early?"

The blonde chuckled. "Back when I was your age maybe. That should give me enough time to wake up for the day, I suppose."

The Nara nodded. "Okay, then ten it is." They stepped onto the stoop just short of the threshold, Shikamaru turning slightly to the man who had his heart fluttering madly within his chest. The artificial light from the outside fixture shone on the blonde beautifully, making his features seem just a hint sharper in the shadows it created and his eyes sparkled gorgeously as he gazed at the younger man.

Shikamaru cleared his throat, a hint of a blush blossoming on his cheeks even though he tried to fight it off. "Well, thanks for a great dinner, Minato. I'll, uh… see you tomorrow." He turned to grab the doorknob when a soft tug to his arm pulled him back.

The smile on Minato's face almost made the Nara weak in the knees. As long as he's known the blonde, Shikamaru could never know how someone could be so drop dead attractive and still be sane. How many times had he found himself just staring at the older man, silently admiring his beauty from afar, wishing that someday he would be able to voice his true feelings? Shikamaru had lost track of the hours.

"This is a date, Shikamaru," Minato said in a soft tone. "I might be getting old, but I thought dates ended with a good-night kiss."

The Nara felt blood rush to his face as his eyes widened a bit. His heart started an erratic rhythm that he was sure the other could hear, as it pounded in his own ears like a constant reminder he was _alive_ and _very awake_. His breathing became shallow as the blonde moved closer, leaning in to the slightly shorter man.

Their lips touched and all thought process completely halted in Shikamaru's mind. It felt as though a lightning bolt had shot straight down his spine as he leaned into the kiss, trying his hardest to memorize the moment. Minato pulled away a short moment later, to the younger man's disappointment, but he didn't move any further than separating their lips.

Shikamaru looked into those blue eyes so close to his, something swirled to life within them, turning the deep-ocean colored orbs into something a hint lighter as they gazed at him. A contented sigh escaped the Nara's chest as a warm hand was placed onto his cheek, and Shikamaru closed his eyes, nuzzling the appendage slightly before those lips were placed upon his once more.

A small moan slipped from his vocal chords as an arm wound about his waist, pulling him closer to the blonde. His hands rested themselves on the older man's chest, gently gripping the fabric of his shirt as the hand at his cheek slid to his neck and a tongue brushed his bottom lip.

Shikamaru shivered at the contact and eagerly opened his mouth to welcome the other inside. His own tongue tentatively touched the blonde's as they started to rub along each other in a way that had another part of the Nara's anatomy slowly growing with excitement as their tongues continued their very arousing dance. Maybe he would get his chance tonight after all.

He saw a flash of light from his closed eyelids and immediately pulled his lips away from Minato's, dark orbs flying open to see his father standing in the doorway, camera in hand, smiling broadly.

"Damn it dad!" Shikamaru hissed, his face feeling warm with embarrassment. "This is supposed to be a private moment!"

"It's your first kiss," Shikaku countered. "I wouldn't be a caring parent if I didn't get a picture of that."

Minato chuckled, which caused the glare on the younger man's face to vanish as the vibrations from that simple action rippled through his body. His fingers tingled with the lingering sensation as he looked into the blonde's face.

"I really should get going, anyway," Minato said his breathtaking smile still in place. He leaned in close to the younger Nara. "Good night, Shikamaru," he whispered, giving him a small peck on the lips before stepping away completely.

Shikamaru immediately missed the warmth.

"See ya, Shikaku," the blonde added as he walked back down the sidewalk, waving.

"Later Minato!" Shikaku answered. "Have a safe drive home!"

Shikamaru was somewhat frozen to the spot as he watched the blonde get into his car and drive away. Why did he have this strong feeling of longing to be with the other man? He'd never felt anything to this extent before. Could it be that just a single kiss opened up something far deeper and much broader than he had ever imagined? Was this what _true love_ really felt like?

"Standing there looking like a puppy who's lost its owner won't make him come back, Shikamaru," his father voiced from behind him.

The younger Nara lightly glared as he walked into the house, trying to ignore his parent.

"How was your date?" Shikaku asked as his son started ascending the stairs.

"…all right," Shikamaru mumbled.

The other chuckled. "Oh come on! You're not going to give me any details, Shikamaru?"

He stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to his father with his glare still in place. "Maybe I would have told you, if you hadn't interrupted my first real kiss with him!"

"You could've ignored me! I wouldn't have said or done anything more to ruin the moment."

Shikamaru bit his tongue and blushed deeper. '_And what if we started getting intimate?_' He wanted to ask that, but knew better. He really did not want to know what his father would have done in that situation; although if he had to guess, Shikaku would have probably taken another picture or two before clothing came off, then shut the door and let them have sex in the front yard. The picture that came to his mind wasn't all that appealing, not with his parent so nearby.

"I'm going to bed," he stated, turning on his heel and going to his room. He sighed heavily at seeing the mess he had left behind, now regretting that he had to clean it up. Upon thinking on it a moment, he decided that perhaps it would be best just to mostly leave it; he still had to pick out something tomorrow, so why bother putting it back when he'd just be taking it all out again later?

After moving a pile of clothes from his bed to a chair, Shikamaru took off what he was wearing and stepped into his bathroom for a shower. He let the almost too warm water cascade down his body, trying to relax so he could get some sleep. However, his hormones wouldn't allow that as images of the blonde kept flashing in his mind, mixed with the memory of the kiss. In no time at all, Shikamaru was scowling at the erection he was sporting, mostly irritated that he would have to take care of it before he could sleep.

Releasing a small sigh and closing his eyes, the Nara pictured Minato. He could somewhat recall what the other looked like nude, but was pretty sure most of those memories were from his own creation and not from his drunken escapade.

Slowly, he wrapped his fingers around his member, shivering slightly at the contact as he imagined the blonde there, leaning against him and touching his most private parts. Shikamaru moaned as he began long, leisurely strokes on his shaft, dipping the tip of his finger into the slit every once in a while, spreading the pre-cum that gathered there. His hips joined the rhythm as he pretended to feel the blonde's own straining length rub against his thigh.

He wanted that dick in his ass so bad. Shikamaru leaned forward a little and reached behind him, gently tracing the tight ring of muscle with his fingers. He pushed one into his body with a small moan, his other hand still stroking his member with a stronger hold.

Shikamaru entered another digit into his ass, loving the feel of the penetration and touch to his penis. His eyes remained closed as he imagined Minato stretching him, those blue eyes gazing at him with lust and amusement. The fingers within him twisted and curled, causing the Nara to moan louder and stroke his erection faster. He could see the blonde doing this to him; fingering his ass and pulling on his dick.

"Oh yeah… Minato…."

A third finger joined the other two, the thrusts became faster and harder, the pumping increasing to match the rhythm in his ass. The sensations turned out to be a little too much for the Nara as he cried out, his seed spurting onto the tiled wall across from him, some dripping onto the fingers still curled around his member. Before it could be washed away, Shikamaru rubbed the white substance over himself, running his hand over his dick and twin sacs beneath to gently stroke his thighs in the afterglow.

Shikamaru sighed again, finally able to release the remaining tension in his body as he finished his shower, hoping he'd find the perfect opportunity to show the blonde just how much he loved him during the following day.


	4. Life is Full of Surprises

Life is Full of Surprises

"Where are we?" Minato asked, as Shikamaru pulled into an unpaved parking lot.

The younger man merely shrugged, parking his car next to some construction equipment. He was glad they decided to do this on a Saturday; nobody would be working. "It's a piece of our land that dad wants to open for the public," he explained, getting out of the vehicle.

The blonde followed suit, walking next to the Nara as they stepped onto a crudely-made trail that led into the forest. "You wanted to give me a first look before it opens?"

Shikamaru smirked a little. "Something like that." They strolled down the path for a long while, the younger man hoping the people who were working on the land hadn't put up the fence to keep others from going on to the rest of the Nara Forest yet. This was currently the fastest way to get to his most favorite spot in the woods and he was going to take advantage of it for as long as he could.

An almost inaudible sigh left him at seeing the small dirt path that led away from the newly formed ones and immediately began following it, the blonde right at his heels.

"Where does this lead?" Minato asked, voice genuinely curious.

"You'll see." After several minutes, the couple breached the forest and Shikamaru smirked again as the blonde's brilliantly blue eyes widened, gazing out at what they had come across.

They were standing in a small meadow perched on the side of a hill, which overlooked the vast amount of land the Nara's watched over. A large valley of trees rested at the bottom of the scene, back dropped by a few small mounts covered in the flush greenery. The deciduous trees were just starting to turn for the fall and speckled all over, mixing beautifully with the never changing pines. A gorgeously clear blue sky topped the picture off, almost making the entire thing look like the most expensive of paintings.

"Wow… Shikamaru," Minato whispered, eyes glued to the scene. "It's beautiful."

"It's been my favorite spot since I was a kid," he replied, lazily looking over the forest. "The cloud gazing here is the best." He let the older man stare for a few minutes more before gently tugging on his arm and pulling him to a bench carefully positioned beneath a tree. They sat together and watched as the sun slowly rose into the sky, pouring more of its rays onto the forest below.

"This really is amazing," the blonde noted, placing an arm around the Nara's shoulders. The younger man turned to him and lightly blushed at the bright smile being given to him. "Thanks for bringing me out here."

"It was something to do," Shikamaru replied with a shrug. His heart began beating a little faster as the older man leaned closer to him. Their lips touched and the Nara softly gasped as the same sensation from the night before shot down his spine. The blonde immediately took the invitation and slid his tongue into the younger man's mouth, plundering it with a little more force than before.

Shikamaru moaned. It excited him to know that the man of his dreams was the aggressive type. His arms wrapped around the blonde's shoulders, trying to hold him tightly as Minato pushed him back against the bench.

Another loud moan forced the Nara to pull his mouth away and he gasped for air. When had the older man trailed his hand down his body to cup his groin? Shikamaru could still feel the tingling left behind from the act, but could not remember it happening. A light squeeze to his growing erection through his pants brought his mind back to the present. He arched willingly into the touch, watching the tanned appendage grope him and loving the feel.

He shivered when the blonde chuckled into his ear. "You certainly are sensitive, Shikamaru," Minato whispered hotly, sending a quiver down the Nara's spine and causing him to buck into his hand. "It does make me wonder… how would you react…?"

Shikamaru held his breath and stilled as he watched the blonde's hand skillfully undo the button to his pants and slowly pull down the zipper. Fingers softly traced the hem of his boxers, teasing his skin and making him tremble again. Minato carefully slid his hand beneath the fabric and wrapped cool fingers around heated flesh.

The Nara cried out and bucked. What blood that could be spared from his stiff erection quickly raced to his cheeks, his eyes nearly crossing at the pleasure from this man touching him. He whimpered as the hand began stroking him and his hips followed the movement, breathing becoming shallow and he held the blonde tighter. "Oh fuck… Minato," he groaned, his pace quickening. "I-ah!-I'm coming!"

"No you're not," the older man whispered, wrapping his index finger and thumb very tightly around the base of Shikamaru's member.

Shikamaru growled in frustration; he had been so close! His body began shaking at being denied his release. He panted heavily against the blonde's neck, trying to roll his hips and get some much needed friction. Minato, however, did not relinquish his hold until the younger man had backed off from the edge and wasn't going to lose it over a simple touch. The Nara sighed when the grip on his member was released, but pouted a bit as the blonde's hand was pulled from his boxers.

"I have something much better in mind," Minato whispered in that sexy voice, sending another delightful shiver down the younger man's spine. He watched as the blonde slowly slid from the bench to kneel inside the Nara's already parted legs.

Dark eyes widened as they looked into the prettiest blue orbs he had ever seen, gazing back at him with a little smirk and a twinkle within them. Shikamaru was familiar with that look; Naruto had it. He would get that look a lot right before the Uzumaki would do something mischievous. Never had he thought Minato would have that same glint in his eye as he was going to….

Shikamaru gasped and moaned, eyes sliding shut as his erection was engulfed into that hot wet cavern that was the blonde's mouth. When had he released his shaft from the fabric it had been confined in? How could he miss such an obvious movement of his heated flesh? He silently decided that Minato might be too much for him to handle. How many times now had Shikamaru been distracted by those brilliantly blue eyes or that gorgeously perfect smile? Probably too many to count.

He moaned again as the older man sucked on his length, the blonde's tongue dancing delicately over the slit and making him whimper. The Nara opened his eyes a moment and caught sight of the wooded valley at the bottom of the hill. An excited shiver rippled up his spine and doubled the pleasure he was receiving; they were outside.

Naruto had never, _ever_, been so daring as to want to have any kind of sexual contact beyond the bedroom. It could've had something to do with the fact that they weren't actually dating and were just having sex for fun, but Shikamaru had always been disappointed by that. He loved the outdoors just as much as he loved the blonde between his legs and having any kind of sex in the forest was a huge turn on.

Shikamaru released a small sigh and looked down at the blonde head bobbing on his erection. He raised a hand and combed it through those wild locks and damn near purred; it was the silkiest thing he had ever touched. He had to moan again as his member was almost completely swallowed in return.

"Ah… Minato," the younger man whispered, his heart going frantic at being able to finally voice that name. "I didn't know you… were so-oh!-adventurous."

The blonde made a low sound in the back of his throat, the vibrations rippling down Shikamaru's length and making him clutch at the bench with his other hand, trying his best to stave off the need to come for a little while longer.

Minato slowly removed the throbbing flesh from his lips, but kept his hand stroking it, as he gazed up at the Nara with amused blue eyes. "It shouldn't be that surprising, Shikamaru," he finally replied, his tongue darting out to lap at the pre-cum continually dripping from the younger man. "My son picked up a lot of his habits from me, after all."

'_N-not like this,_' Shikamaru thought as that mouth descended onto his shaft again, this time sucking harder and taking him deeper.

The Nara bit his bottom lip to keep from shouting as he tumbled toward completion, his eyes glued to the beautiful sight of Minato's perfect lips wrapped tightly around his dick. It was too much, and when the blonde started softly humming, Shikamaru couldn't hold back. He didn't even have enough time to warn the man between his legs as he came, cursing loudly and emptying his seed into the back of the blonde's throat.

Shikamaru felt like the world had lost its hold on him for a long while as he floated on nothing and could only feel the lightness of a glorious euphoria surround him. He was almost sad to leave such an awesome state, but knew it was worth leaving it to find those blue eyes smiling at him when he finally opened his own orbs.

Minato's smile widened. "You still with me, Shikamaru?"

The Nara sighed heavily, leaning his head upon the older man's shoulder. "Holy fuck." He glanced down to see that his penis had been tucked away and his pants zipped and buttoned again. His eyes caught the sight of the blonde's groin and the definite bulge there made his blood heat up and sent a pleasing ripple through his body.

Every good deed deserved another.

Shikamaru raised his suddenly very heavy hand to reach for his prize, when the blonde gently grabbed his wrist. He looked at the older man with confusion; did he not want the favor returned?

"It can wait," Minato whispered, giving the Nara a small kiss on the forehead. "_I_ can wait, Shikamaru." He wrapped his arms around the younger man, holding him close as the sun was starting to chase away the shade they were sheltered in.

Shikamaru inwardly sulked. It just wasn't fair! He wanted to taste Minato! He wanted to know what his aching erection would feel like in his mouth, how salty his juices would be, and how his seed would descend down his throat. The Nara scowled a bit, even as he nuzzled the blonde's neck. If there was one thing he was good at, it was making others sorry for what they'd done. A small smile graced his lips as he thought up several ways to make his blonde Adonis pay for not letting him have what he wanted.

He would pay dearly….

An hour or two later, after Shikamaru regained a bit of his energy by taking a short nap against the older man, the Nara took Minato into town. He drove to a small café that sat close to the park, where he made sure to start his plan. As soon as they got out of the car, Shikamaru stretched, arching his back and raising his arms above his head. He was glad he decided to wear a tight fitting button up shirt, as he was sure every movement of his muscles could be seen beneath the thin garment and he knew the older man was watching him.

They entered the small café and were immediately shown to a table by a waitress the younger man knew quite well, and not just because the little restaurant was one of his favorite hang outs. She was going to the same college and they had a few classes together. The Nara found her to be nice, although could be a bit annoying at times, and seemed to be very protective of him. She would usually glare at any of the men he would bring by that she didn't recognize.

He was almost too shocked to speak to see Temari _smiling_ as she took their order.

'…_she must actually approve,_' Shikamaru thought as he rambled off one of his usuals.

Not that he needed approval from anybody about who he dated; it just sort of eased some tension he didn't know he had been feeling until it happened. At least he wouldn't hear her complaining about it, but she would want to know all of the details. Oh well, one hurdle jumped.

They ate in relative silence, Minato noting that he didn't even know the café existed, and Shikamaru explaining that it had only been around for a few years. He had come across it on accident himself while wondering around the park with an empty stomach, and only got to coming on a regular basis because of Temari.

After their meal, the dirty blonde asked them if they wanted desert. Minato declined but Shikamaru smirked; time to push his plans forward a bit. "Do you still have those homemade popsicles?" he asked.

"Of course," Temari replied with a smile, "but because summer is over, we only have two flavors available; banana and blue raspberry."

"Blue raspberry sounds good."

The woman nodded. "Comin' right up!" She walked away, giving the younger man a knowing smirk behind his date.

Minato raised a golden eyebrow. "Homemade popsicles?"

The Nara nodded. "Yup, made right here in the café. They're lots better than any of those store brands."

The blonde smiled. "I'll have to try one next time."

Temari walked up to them, holding the blue colored icy treat and handing it to the younger man. "Enjoy yourself," she whispered as she placed the check on the table and strolled away.

Minato gave Shikamaru a curious look at the waitress's statement, to which the younger man merely shrugged; she just knew something the older man didn't.

Slowly, he brought the popsicle to his lips and ran his tongue over the tip as if tasting the flavor. He greatly enjoyed the blue raspberry taste, but was enjoying more the blonde across from him as he slid the cold treat into his mouth and began sucking on it. Those deep-ocean eyes seemed fixated on the popsicle as Shikamaru slowly sucked it into his mouth and brought it back out, only to run his tongue over the areas his lips kept getting stuck to. He allowed himself to make small sounds; a tiny moan here, an almost inaudible sigh there.

Minato's lids fell to half mast as the sucking continued.

The Nara let the cold confection leave his lips a moment as he stuck out his tongue and ran it from the bottom slowly to the top, swallowing what he'd captured on his tongue and licked his lips. "This is really good, Minato." He sucked hard on the tip, making a very quiet slurping sound and inwardly smirked as the blonde's lips parted, eyes clouding over with lust.

'_Looks like it's time._' Shikamaru released the popsicle and opened his mouth wide, gently placing the treat onto his cold tongue and slowly, very slowly, taking in… every… inch. His lips closed around the stick and the tip touched the back of his throat. The Nara started sucking again, tilting his head back a bit to let the juices run down his throat for a moment. He held there for as long as his lungs would allow before he just as slowly pulled the popsicle out far enough so he could breathe again.

Shikamaru continued his teasing until the entire treat had melted away. He gave the stick a few languid licks to top off the show and dropped it onto his plate. "It's too bad you didn't want one, Minato," he said as he reached for the check, trying to sound as alluring as he was casual. "They really are delicious."

The blonde blinked dumbly for a few moments before clearing his throat and lightly shaking his head. "…looked like it," he mumbled, blue eyes gazing out the window as a very light blush touched his cheeks.

The Nara chuckled and paid for the meal, walking the older man into the park. Minato had gotten a bit more touchy-feely since that morning and insisted on holding the younger man's hand, much to Shikamaru's embarrassment. He liked touch as much as the next person, but had never dated anybody who was so open about it.

With a blush on his cheeks, Shikamaru strolled around the park with Minato's hand in his own. They passed the zoo and the younger man suggested they go inside, seeing as there wasn't a whole lot of people milling about within. He never was a big fan of huge crowds.

Paying for their admission, the Nara was quick to go to his favorite animal; the wolf. They were inside a large building, which had a large glass window looking out into the wolves' exhibit, and Shikamaru was happy to find two of the occupants still there, although looking a lot older than he remembered. A strong feeling of nostalgia overcame him and he sighed, eyes growing sad and hand going lax in the older man's.

Minato looked at his date with some concern. "You okay, Shikamaru?" he asked softly, standing close to the younger man and placing a hand on his shoulder.

Shikamaru shrugged, gaze not leaving the wolves walking about in their habitat. "I… I just haven't been here in such a long time…. Not since… mom died."

The blonde released a small sigh and wrapped his arms around the Nara's waist, holding him from behind in a comforting way. "Did you come here a lot with her?"

The younger man leaned against the other. "No. They had just opened the wolf exhibit and my parents thought it might be a fun family thing to do. That was almost ten years ago now," he whispered, hands gently clutching the arms around him as they slightly tightened their grip. "It was then that I realized I was gay."

Minato gave him a comforting kiss on the cheek. "Just by looking at the wolves?" he asked softly.

Shikamaru raised a hand and pointed at two of the wild canines sleeping together beneath a tree, close to the artificial cave the pack was calling home. "Those two there… haven't changed much. They were the talk of the exhibit, having mated in captivity and were the alphas of the pack. What astonished everybody was that… they're both male."

The blonde chuckled. "I'm sure that stirred up some controversy. I never was good at keeping up to date with those kinds of things."

The Nara continued to watch as one of the wolves awoke and raised his head, looking around a moment before nuzzling back down with his life partner and falling back into slumber. "My mother was interested in it, saying something like it would be a good life lesson for me. We watched the pack and mom said that sometimes people of the same gender get together like the wolves had. It was then that I realized that I didn't want to be with a woman for the rest of my life…."

"_So… is it okay then… if I like boys, mom?"_ Shikamaru remembered asking that question, looking up at his mother's slightly wide eyes and praying she wouldn't get angry with him.

_Yoshino knelt down in front of her son and gently grasped his shoulders. "Shikamaru, you are my son. I love you and I will always love you no matter who you like. Be proud of who you are and don't you ever let anybody tell you you're not worth it, okay Shikamaru?"_

_The twelve-year-old gave his mother a confused look, tilting his head to the side. "What do you mean, mom?"_

_The woman gave her son a bright smile. "You may be too young to understand it now, but never forget what I said and always remember that I love you, Shikamaru."_

The Nara sighed sadly at the memory; it had only been a short year later when his mother had been killed in a bad car accident. '_I haven't forgotten, mom,_' he thought very quietly, losing the battle to keep the tears in his eyes from escaping. He turned and wrapped his arms around the blonde, burying his face into his shoulder as a few sobs escaped him.

Minato held him tightly, gently rocking the younger man as he rode out the small burst of tears. "You really miss your mother, Shikamaru," he whispered when the Nara pulled away and quickly wiped his face clean of moisture.

"I'm sure it's no different with your wife," he gently commented with a sad smile.

The blonde looked away a moment, his lips curling with a gloomy smirk of his own. "This is true." He wrapped an arm around the younger man's shoulders as they started walking again. "I miss Kushina every day, even more so when I look at Naruto; he has her personality."

"What would she have to say about this?" Shikamaru asked, draping his own arm around the older man's waist.

Minato chuckled. "Can you believe that she would laugh? All I can picture is her doubled over, saying that she told me so and lightly complaining that this happened _after_ she passed on."

"She 'told you so?'"

The blonde nodded, a bit of color slowly spreading on his cheeks. "The whole time we were dating, she kept insisting that I had an attraction for men, but I always denied it. Up until she got pregnant, Kushina was trying to get me to have a threesome with another man; she was big into yaoi, but I still refused." He sighed heavily, small smile still in place. "I guess she got the last laugh after all."

Shikamaru also smiled, silently grateful that he probably wouldn't be dealing with an irate spirit haunting him.

They continued to wander around the zoo, eventually finding themselves in the walkway underwater. The blue light reflecting through the water cast beautiful shadows over the blonde as he stared at the fish swimming around them. Shikamaru couldn't focus on the aquatic animals, not with such a gorgeous being standing right next to him. Minato's eyes seemed to have greatly intensified with color; the deep ocean blue appearing to sway in time with the reflections across his face, which was almost glowing in the light.

'…_I don't deserve him,_' the Nara thought as his own orbs continued to stare. He still had no idea how anybody could be _that_ beautiful… or why anybody _that_ beautiful would be interested in him. He released a shaky sigh when those perfectly blue eyes looked down at him with a smile.

Minato closed the distance between them and softly placed his lips onto the younger man's in a short kiss. After they parted, he glanced down at his watch before starting to pull his date toward the exit. "We should get going, Shikamaru," the blonde said, holding the Nara's hand firmly in his own. "I still have to make dinner for you."

Shikamaru blinked, his mind still with the fish as they walked out of the tunnel. "Wait," he softly commanded when his thoughts finally caught up.

The older man stopped and gave his date a confused look. "What is it?"

The Nara smiled. "You took me out last night; it's only fair that I treat you tonight."

"You paid for lunch," Minato countered, a smile of his own spreading on his face, "so I should get dinner."

"No, this is my day to take you out. I can't have you—" Shikamaru was cut off when those perfect lips were pressed onto his again. A small moan rumbled softly in his throat when warm hands were placed on either cheek.

Deep blue eyes gazed tenderly into his own when they parted, the blonde's words quiet as he spoke, "You can make it up to me by making breakfast tomorrow."

Breakfast? Shikamaru's mind almost imploded; that meant he'd be spending the night! Trying to keep the bounce out of his step, the younger man grabbed his date's hand and began pulling him toward the exit. "We need to have dinner first, right?" he whispered, heart pounding and face flushed.

He'd finally have his chance.

Shikamaru was having a tough time eating. It wasn't that he didn't have an appetite; he'd been able to get very hungry while he was waiting for Minato to cook the meal. The blonde had shooed him to the living room to wait for dinner while it was being prepared at the Namikaze's house.

The food was excellent, too. The Nara knew the older man could cook, but he certainly outdid himself with the simple yet delicious meal.

He could have said the problem with eating lied with his nerves; he couldn't really wait until dinner was over, although his heart was pounding madly in his chest at the thought of being able to touch that god-like body sitting just a few feet away from him. He knew he'd be wrong, though.

Shikamaru was just getting distracted. Not only had the older man gone all out with the meal, but he had also taken great lengths to make sure it was extremely romantic. The dying light outside was shaded by the curtains in the few windows that surrounded the dining room and several candles had been lit; a few standing tall and proud on the table while many smaller ones had been scattered about, giving off a soft light and making the atmosphere feel very relaxed.

It was the fact that Minato Namikaze was sitting next to him without a shirt that had the younger man focused on… other things.

He couldn't help but let his dark eyes gaze over the toned chest bare before him, dark pink nipples almost begging him to reach over and pinch them, muscles lying just beneath sun kissed flesh flexing with every movement. The candlelight danced over the older man's skin in a very teasing way, making Shikamaru kind of jealous, wishing he could do what the light was. He could feel his pants tighten with every passing moment and it was just getting hard to eat when he really wanted to pounce on the blonde and fuck his brains out.

For what felt like the thousandth time, the Nara lightly shook his head and shoved food into his mouth, trying to keep his eyes focused on his plate and not what he _wanted_ to be on his plate. This seemed to last for hours to the younger man; his penis almost in pain it was so hard.

When he finally cleaned the dish he had been given, Minato immediately asked if he wanted seconds, to which he quickly declined. The blonde gave him a knowing smirk and slid his chair closer to Shikamaru, blue eyes flickering with the candlelight.

"Would you like some dessert?" Minato asked, resting an arm on the table and facing the Nara, almost looking as if to rise and go into the kitchen.

Shikamaru's eyes immediately ran down that perfect torso, gaze resting on the older man's lap before returning back to that gorgeously smiling face. "I would," he finally replied with a smirk.

"What do you want?" The words left those plump lips in a hushed whisper, the younger man noticing how the blonde's legs parted a bit.

Releasing a small sigh, trying to calm his slightly shaking hands, Shikamaru looked straight into amused blue orbs. "And here I'd thought that'd be obvious," he said around a soft chuckle.

Minato leaned in close. "Do you… want _me_, Shikamaru?" he asked, voice low and seductive.

The Nara shivered at the tone, nodding dumbly as his gaze was lost within those beautiful eyes.

The blonde leaned closer. "Then take me." He touched his lips to the dazed younger man, quickly sliding his tongue into the willing mouth and wrapping his arms around the other's waist.

Shikamaru moaned, his hands immediately coming in contact with the older man's warm flesh. Still lip locked with his date, the Nara began exploring the wide expanse of Minato's chest, lightly teasing pecks and pinching nipples until they were hardened nubs and gently rubbing abs, dipping his finger into the older man's bellybutton. Every motion brought out a different sound from the blonde, which was swallowed by Shikamaru even as he was memorizing it all.

He couldn't wait much longer, having wanted to be able to please the man who held his heart for so long; Shikamaru left those perfect lips to trail his tongue along a square jaw line, down a slender neck and swirled around pert nipples. He kissed his way down the center of a tight abdomen until lips met hands at the button of the blonde's bulging pants.

Strong hands were at the Nara's shoulders as he carefully kicked his chair away, kneeling between parted legs and quickly undoing the button and pulling down the zipper.

"Aren't we eager," Minato joked, spreading his legs a bit more and lightly massaging the younger man's shoulders.

"You shouldn't be surprised," Shikamaru countered, his voice husky and rushed. "You've made me wait forever for this." Before the older man could respond, Shikamaru reached into Minato's boxers through the opening and shivered again as he grasped hot, soft, pulsing flesh. He slowly pulled the organ out of confinement, gently stroking it as he gazed at how perfect the blonde was.

A clear drop started oozing from the slit and his own erection pulsed. Swallowing a few times, as Shikamaru's mouth was watering at the sight, he tentatively leaned forward and swiped his tongue over the moisture.

The Nara almost moaned; he'd never tasted anything like it before! How could this man, while having the same salty flavor as all pre-cum did, also have a certain taste that was his alone? He immediately wanted more and wrapped his lips tightly around the head, sucking lightly and lapping up the delicious liquid.

Shikamaru heard a small moan above him and slowly took more of the blonde's length into his mouth. He briefly remembered the popsicle he'd had earlier and began giving the erection between his lips the same treatment.

He gave the organ a few hard sucks, released it and trailed his tongue along the underside to lap at the slit for a few moments before sucking it in again.

One of Minato's hands began lightly rubbing the back of his neck, moaning and hissing as the younger man continued to tease his oversensitive organ.

Shikamaru played for a few minutes longer, before he decided to try the final trick he had done with the icy treat. Taking a deep breath, he very slowly slid down the aching length, relaxing his throat as the tip reached the back and went a little further, when the younger man's nose was brushing against the cotton boxers. He started sucking, trying to move his tongue along the large vein pulsing against it, the blonde panting heavily.

"Ah gods… Shikamaru," Minato groaned, slightly thrusting his hips into the Nara's face.

The younger man purred at the sound of his name, the sound rumbling from the back of his throat and rippling down the erection still resting there.

"Oh fuck!"

Shikamaru was just starting to pull away when the curse reached his ears, but not a moment later his mouth was quickly filling with hot globs of seed. He moaned and gratefully drank it down, licking at the tiny opening to get it all. He released the length with an audible slurping sound, swallowing what was left on his tongue and panting softly.

Minato released a small cry and a final spurt of cum shot from his softening member to land on the corner of the younger man's mouth. It slowly ran down his chin as dark eyes gazed up into lust-filled blue ones. The older man's face was flushed, lips parted as he gasped for air.

Gently pulling Shikamaru up to sit in his lap, the blonde almost slammed their lips together, licking up the last of his ejaculate and quickly unbuttoning the younger man's shirt. He pulled the white garment down to pool at the Nara's elbows, since Shikamaru didn't want to relinquish his hold on the older man's neck.

It was almost too good to be true. The man of his dreams was damn near shoving his tongue down his throat and was coming close to ripping his clothes from his body. Pleasant trembles kept rippling down his spine and Shikamaru could do little more than _feel_; touch the body before him and enjoy the touches he was being given.

One of Minato's hands reached into his hair, pulling the tie away and letting dark locks fall free. The blonde pulled away and gazed at the younger man.

Shikamaru's eyes darted all over the flushed face and swollen lips and lightened eyes; it was better than he ever had imagined.

The older man leaned close, their abused lips almost touching. "Bedroom," he whispered, voice hoarse, "now."

The Nara got the hint and stood, quickly helping his love blow out candles as they headed to the staircase. Before the younger man could get to the first step, Minato grabbed him and pinned Shikamaru to the wall, giving the Nara a fierce kiss.

Shikamaru moaned, hands gliding over that perfectly sculptured chest as their hips moved wantonly against each other. He was slightly surprised to find the older man ready for another round so quickly; it would take a lot of teasing and touching to get Naruto hard a second time.

He pushed the thought away when Minato reached down and began squeezing the younger man's butt cheeks, the friction growing between them. Shikamaru began to wonder if they'd even make it to the bedroom.

"Go get 'im, dad!"

The very familiar and unexpected voice made both men halt their movements. Minato whipped his head around. "Naruto?!"

Shock quickly ran through the younger man's mind. Naruto? What the hell was he doing here?! He had to take a deep breath even as his heart was now racing for a different reason than it had a mere moment before. A little fearful, Shikamaru peeked over the blonde's shoulder to see Naruto Uzumaki standing by the door, overnight bag slung over his shoulder as he smiled at his father.

Blue eyes so much like their father's moved to lock intently on the Nara hidden by the older blonde. Naruto's smile quickly melted away, eyes widening and confusion and shock swirling within his gaze. "Shikamaru?!"

Said man was able to pull off a small chuckle. "Hey there, Naruto." Even as the words left his mouth, the Nara could feel the mood of the room shift. Naruto's eyes kept bouncing from his father and back to his friend.

"Uh… what are you doing back so early?" Minato asked, seeming to try and lighten the atmosphere. "I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow."

His son didn't answer as his gaze finally stopped on the Nara. Shikamaru's own eyes widened a bit at the hurt he saw lying within those blue orbs. They only fixated on him a moment more before Naruto ran passed them, darting up the stairs and slamming his door shut.

Had Shikamaru seen… _tears_ within his friend's eyes?

Minato released a long sigh, making the younger man return his attention to him. "That could've gone better." He stepped back and put his limp member back into his pants. "I should talk to him."

"Let me," Shikamaru said, buttoning up his shirt. It seemed that whatever problem Naruto had it was with the Nara and not his father. "I'll talk to Naruto. This was because of me anyway."

The blonde smiled softly as he walked back toward the kitchen. "Don't make it sound like you're to blame." He disappeared into the other room and came out a moment later as Shikamaru finished buttoning his shirt and handed him his hair tie. "You should probably look as normal as possible."

The younger man nodded his thanks and grabbed the elastic string, his hand immediately being caught by Minato's own. He gave the Nara a quick kiss. "Good luck, Shikamaru," he whispered.

Shikamaru gave the man he loved a small smile and turned away, slowly ascending the stairs while putting his hair back into place. He reached his friend's door and gently knocked. "Naruto?"

"Go away!" came the angry reply from the other side.

The Nara took a deep breath and slowly opened the door; peering inside to find his blonde friend sitting on his bed, face in his hands, shoulders slightly trembling. Shikamaru stepped inside and shut the door, carefully walking over and sitting beside the other. "Naruto?" he asked again.

The Uzumaki raised his face and tear filled blue eyes glared hotly at the other. "How long?" he hissed.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "How long what?"

The anger in the blonde's blue eyes doubled. "How long have you been fucking my dad?!" he practically shouted.

The Nara slightly flinched at the words and a small scowl touched his features. "I haven't been 'fucking' your dad, Naruto."

"Then what the fuck did I just come home to, Shikamaru?!" Naruto continued, standing and quickly walking to the window. "The two of you were fucking _half naked_ and fucking _humping_ each other!"

"Naruto," Shikamaru tried, straining to keep his voice as neutral sounding as possible, when he truly had no idea of what he should exactly say to his pissed off friend, "… it was just a date."

"…a date?" The tears in the blonde's eyes increased as he looked away. "I guess that makes everything fine, then, doesn't it?! My friend is dating my father who is _twice_ his age!"

The Nara quietly growled and stood. "Damn it, Naruto, age doesn't have anything to do with love!" He almost regretted his words at seeing those blue eyes widen in further shock. He stood with his back a little straighter; Shikamaru would not back out of it now.

"…love?" The word came out as a choked sob from the blonde's quivering lips.

"Yes," Shikamaru answered. "I'm in love with Minato; I have been for several years now." He watched as Naruto stared hard into his eyes for several moments before looking away again, this time giving the Nara his back and softly crying against the wall beside the window. "We were going to tell you about this, Naruto, but your father wanted to make sure it was going to be something serious that we both wanted to pursue before doing so."

"Why didn't you tell me you loved him?" the blonde whispered, turning his head slightly to gaze at the other man. "I thought we were friends… told each other everything."

Shikamaru shook his head, eyes staring at the floor, a small feeling of guilt rising in his chest. "I… was afraid to tell you, Naruto. I figured you'd be angry with me."

Naruto nodded, a shaky hand running through his unruly golden locks. "So this whole thing is my fault then."

The Nara raised wide eyes to his friend, taking a few steps toward him. "No it isn't! How can you blame yourself for what I feel?"

The blonde glared at the other again. "If you would have told me," Naruto almost growled, "then I wouldn't have walked in to see my dad almost fucking someone my age into the fucking wall!"

Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose, trying his best to ease his frustration. Somehow he got the feeling that this really had nothing to do with age. "Man, what the fuck is with you, Naruto?! You're reacting to this worse than I thought you would!"

"What's with me?" Naruto slammed his fist into the wall. "Damn it, Shikamaru! You're fucking in love with my dad while I'm in love with you!"


	5. Waiting for the Rain to Fall

Waiting for the Rain to Fall

Shikamaru's dark eyes were wide. He almost felt like he couldn't breathe. His mind was a complete blank as he stared at his blonde friend. Naruto was… _in love_ with him? He tried desperately to come to that conclusion, pegging little things the blonde had done in the past that he overlooked, something to trigger this emotion the other was feeling.

Once again the Nara came up with a blank. He never noticed anything that would indicate that Naruto wanted anything more than a friendship with some sex on the side. It didn't make any sense!

He shook his head, expression turning into a scowl. "Naruto," he whispered, taking his time to make sure he didn't hurt his friend, "…what… I…." Shikamaru shook his head again, eyes focusing more intently on the tearstained face of the blonde. "Since when?"

Naruto looked away, gently rubbing the hand he had punched the wall with. He gave a small shrug before speaking. "A little while now, I guess."

Silence reigned for several long, uncomfortable minutes as the Nara tried to figure it out. His confusion was growing as he kept coming up with no explanation. His scowl faded away as he gave his friend a confused and desperate look, finally voicing the one word that had been echoing in his mind the very moment the blonde confessed. "…why?"

Naruto abandoned the attempt to ease his hand to rub the back of his neck, again giving a small shrug. "I just… it was… during sex, Shikamaru," he whispered, blue eyes still filled with tears looking at the Nara with a tenderness and fondness Shikamaru had never seen within them before. "I-I noticed… that you kept your eyes open a lot… even though we said we'd imagine somebody else being there." Slowly, the blonde took small steps towards his friend. "After a while… I guess I thought that you… wanted me… that you weren't imagining anybody else being there, Shikamaru. The more I thought about it… the more I… wanted the same." Naruto stood just a breath away from the Nara, their eyes still locked onto each other. "I haven't imagined that I was with somebody else for a month or so, Shikamaru. You're the person I want most in the world." He reached up a tanned hand to touch his frozen friend's face.

Shikamaru blinked and stepped away from the appendage before it could make contact. He backed up to stand on the other side of the bed; he was still confused and shocked and knew that being touched by his blonde friend at the moment would probably not be a good idea.

He flinched slightly at seeing the rejected look on Naruto's face, how those sorrowful eyes fell to the floor and a few more tears ran down already wet, scarred cheeks.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Shikamaru asked quietly, knowing full well that shouting would be pointless, despite the frustration starting to build within him again. However, he couldn't stop the next sentence that his pride forced from his mouth without his permission, "I thought we were friends, told each other everything."

He regretted saying it, though, at witnessing those blue eyes dart to him, wide and full of shock before darkening and looking away again. Naruto placed a shaky hand over his mouth. "I-I'm sorry," he whispered in a choked sob, taking the few steps to plop back onto the bed were he continued to quietly cry.

Shikamaru could practically feel the heartbreak radiating from his friend and felt his own heart clench in pain. He softly sighed and carefully sat beside the blonde. Tentatively, the Nara placed a comforting hand on Naruto's back. "_I'm_ sorry, Naruto," he replied quietly. "I'm the one who should have said something… or even noticed to some degree of what you were feeling."

Naruto tensed beneath the touch and quelled his sobs as his friend spoke. He very slowly sat a little straighter and tried to wipe the wetness on his cheeks away while sniffing. "So… when we were having sex," he asked, voice hoarse and thick with emotion, "you were… picturing my dad?"

The Nara had to look away; he had never felt so ashamed about it before. "Yeah."

The blonde nodded and was quiet a moment before moving, scooting to the other side of the bed so his friend's hand left his back, and he'd only be able to touch him again by following the movement.

Shikamaru didn't. His hand remained still in the air for at least a full minute before he lowered it back into his lap. Somehow he felt that he'd lost his best friend; the distance between them now, although looked easy enough to breach at five feet or so, was too much for even the mightiest jumper to cross. He sighed sadly at the thought; he didn't want to lose anybody over this silly emotion he had.

"What do you want me to do?" the Nara asked in a quiet murmur. Silence was his answer for a long while before he heard a slight shift of movement from the blonde's side of the bed and a strong sigh.

"Don't you dare hurt my dad," Naruto said, surprising Shikamaru at how harsh, angry and threatening the sentence was.

He looked up to see the blonde sitting with his back straight, blue eyes swirling with hurt and hostility toward the Nara, making him flinch and feel a little afraid. He knew Naruto could be mean when he needed to be.

"Dad is all I have left," he continued, hands clenching into fists on his lap. "I love him more than anything, Shikamaru, and if you do anything, and I mean _anything_, to hurt him in _any_ way, I promise that you'll regret ever meeting me. Understand?" he hissed, an angry glare bringing together golden brows, making nostrils flare and further darkening his eyes.

Shikamaru swallowed a bit and responded in the positive, a small jolt of pain shooting through his heart. He wasn't really sure why; it made all the sense in the world that his father would be the first on his mind, but after Naruto had just gotten finished saying that he was so in love with the Nara…. He thought that maybe he would at least be on par with the older blonde, not still considered below.

"Now leave me alone, Shikamaru," Naruto mumbled, eyes turning to the window.

Shikamaru didn't need to be told twice, but even as he slowly stood and walked to the door, he still felt bad about it. He was going to apologize again, but knew he'd just be wasting his breath; no matter how much he was sorry, that little word usually had little standing in this kind of situation. He sighed sadly again as he opened the door, taking one final glance at the blonde before leaving his old friend to himself.

He walked down the stairs in a bit of a daze, the words Naruto had said still floating in his mind and making him wonder if he had responded correctly. However, it was the truth and sometimes the truth hurt, it was that simple.

Entering the kitchen, he saw Minato cleaning up a bit, having turned on the lights and put his shirt back on. Never before had Shikamaru wanted to hold the older man so badly; feeling the overwhelming need to be comforted and told that his friend would be all right.

Minato looked up at him from wiping the counter and giving him a worried gaze. "How'd it go, Shikamaru?" he asked carefully.

The Nara stood next to the man his heart yearned for. He shook his head and looked desperately into the blonde's brilliantly blue eyes. "He said he's in love with me," he whispered.

The Namikaze's eyes widened a bit and he was quiet for a long moment. Eventually he released a long breath and looked at the counter, though his blue orbs weren't focused on it. "How long?"

Shikamaru slightly flinched as the memory of tear filled blue eyes glared at him while asking the same question. "He… wasn't sure. A month, maybe longer."

Minato nodded. "Naruto never said anything to you?"

"No, I didn't know until he blurted it out tonight."

The blonde sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "I guess that means he's not supportive about this," he whispered.

Shikamaru looked at the floor to his side, chest clenching uncomfortably as he replied, "No, he isn't." The threat and angry glares had told him all he really needed to know. Naruto could act all he wanted, but the Nara knew his friend better than that. What Naruto really wanted to do was tell Shikamaru to leave and never come back.

After another long moment of thick silence, Minato turned to the younger man. "Listen Shikamaru," he said, voice strong and eyes filled with determination, "I love my son, and I will not do anything willingly to make him feel uncomfortable. If Naruto truly does love you, then we will never work out. Do you understand?"

The Nara's eyes widened as he drew his attention back to the blonde, a dark feeling starting to spread throughout his chest even as he tried to suppress it. Those beautiful blue orbs were filled with an emotion he'd seen in his father's gaze several times; the protecting parent mode. They were much darker than he had ever seen before and no longer flashed with little emotions he could read.

Minato Namikaze was breaking it off.

Shikamaru took a deep breath and nodded, eyes looking away again as the gaze he was being given only intensified the darkness within his heart.

Without another word, not even wanting a "good-bye kiss," Shikamaru headed for the door, grabbing his keys from a small bowl on the table by the coat rack. As he grabbed the golden colored knob, he turned to find Minato had followed him, that same look on his face.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he whispered, "Thanks for giving me a chance." Skipping the proper farewell, the Nara opened the door and walked out into the night, shutting the wood behind him and sighing heavily. The sound of the lock clicking behind him echoed loudly inside his head and somehow he felt that not only were the two men inside now beyond his reach, but it seemed his heart had been locked away from him as well.

//Under your spell again/I can't say no to you/crave my heart and its bleeding in your hand/I can't say no to you//

Shikamaru was unusually focused as he drove home, but he knew he had to be. If he thought back at all to what just transpired, he was sure he'd do something stupid, whether on accident… or on purpose.

The driveway at his house was empty; his father was probably out with his pals that night, figuring his son might bring his date home.

As soon as he turned off the ignition, a strong wave of pain clutched his heart and he leaned forward to rest his forehead against the steering wheel. He breathed deeply for a few long moments, trying his best to hold the coldness at bay. Shikamaru didn't want to feel it, didn't want to fall into that pit of darkness.

Not that he wasn't a stranger to it; when his mother died, he and his father had floated within that nothingness for a long while afterword. Until, that is, Minato had come to them and offered them comfort and an empathetic shoulder to cry on.

"Fuck," Shikamaru whispered, leaning back against the seat and gazing out the window as his eyes started filling with tears.

The sun had set a while back, but he could still see the heavy clouds covering the sky, flashing here and there with lightning within them and rumbling a low warning around him. However, no rain fell from the sky, even as water slowly trailed down his face. Shikamaru wanted so badly for the clouds to open up and weep with him, for not only had he lost the man he loved but also one of the closest friends he'd ever had.

The darkness swirled within his chest and spread quickly, giving the Nara second thoughts about it all, making him regret things that could never be changed. He began mourning his double loss, even if the sky chose not to join him.

//Shouldn't have let you torture me so sweetly/now I can't let go of this dream/I can't breathe but I feel//

Shikaku was only slightly surprised to see his son's car in the driveway as he pulled in. It was nearing one in the morning, the older Nara hoping he wouldn't walk in on anything… _too_ private.

He quickly entered the house and, seeing and hearing nothing, went straight for the small liquor cabinet. Shikaku had been out with a few of his buddies, celebrating the relationships of their children. He'd drank lightly while at the bar, deciding he wanted to be home for his son, whether or not he brought his date home for the night or if he went over to Namikaze's place.

The Nara felt he could finally celebrate for real.

One of his dark eyebrows rose quizzically at noticing the bottle of sake he'd just bought was not where he'd put it. He looked to see if maybe it got shuffled around, but couldn't find it anywhere. Shikaku then figured that maybe the couple had taken it, although he thought his son had learned his lesson with drinking heavily.

He lightly laughed at the memory of his son telling him about Naruto's birthday party. It was because of that incident that he was having a date now and, the older Nara hoped, building the perfect relationship with someone wonderful.

Shikaku was not gay; never had been. However, he had grown up with Minato Namikaze and knew that he was a great person and great looking. The Nara always thought someone would have to be blind to miss that… and deaf…. Actually, the more he thought about it, the more he decided that one would have to be in a _comatose state_ to miss how much of a fantastic human being Minato was.

Shikaku knew he was perfect for his son.

//Good enough/I feel good enough for you//

Pushing those thoughts aside, Shikaku went upstairs, hoping to be able to retain the missing sake and drink some himself. He carefully listened at the door to his son's room, but didn't hear anything, not even voices.

'_Maybe they're already asleep,_' he thought before lightly knocking on the door. "Shikamaru?" he whispered, to which he gained no response. Slowly turning the knob, Shikaku pushed the door open a crack to peek inside.

He was surprised to find the lights on and the room was deserted. The Nara opened the door the entire way and noticed his sake bottle sitting on his son's nightstand, about a quarter of the contents gone, sitting next to a small shot glass. An eyebrow rose in curiosity as a cool breeze brushed passed him. Shikaku turned to look at the sliding door leading to the balcony and immediately found his son standing there, leaning heavily on the rail, a half smoked cigarette in his hand.

Shikaku's eyes widened. It was a rare thing indeed to see Shikamaru smoking; he only took up the habit when something was bothering him deeply.

The older Nara quickly strode onto the balcony, standing beside his son. "Shikamaru?" he asked quietly as he took a drag. "What happened?"

Shikamaru shrugged, casually blowing the smoke into the slight breeze. His face was covered with tearstains and conveyed sorrow and hurt, while his eyes were dark and almost seemed… empty to Shikaku as they gazed out over the forest covered in darkness.

"Wha' makes you think 'nything happened?" Shikamaru countered, a slight slur in his voice.

"Don't try to side step me," the older Nara replied. "I'm your father and I know better than anybody that you only smoke when you're depressed." He saw how his son's eyes began filling with tears, but got blinked back as he took another inhale of smoke. "Now please tell me what happened, Shikamaru," he gently pleaded, placing his hand on the younger man's shoulder.

Shikamaru exhaled sharply, rubbing his head with his free hand a moment before flicking the cigarette free of ashes. "Well," he started, switching hands with the stick of tobacco, "in all honesty… the date was going very well." He was working very hard to keep the slur from his words, almost annunciating every letter. "We were just getting to the best part, too, dad. I was finally going to have fantastic sex with the sexiest man alive! And then…" Shikamaru paused to take a slow drag, eyes drifting to his hands as he finished, "Naruto showed up."

Shikaku sighed heavily, knowing exactly where this was headed. "I'm guessing he didn't like the idea of you dating his father."

His son shook his head, standing a little straighter. "No, he cert'nly did not. In fact, Nar'to tol' me that… he's in love with me." He took another drag.

The older Nara gave the other a curious look. "He told you that?"

Shikamaru nodded. "He also threa'ned that if I hurt Minato he would make me pay for it."

"I'm sure Minato had some words about that."

The younger man shook his head. "I didn' tell him that, dad. I never got the chance," he whispered, taking a final drag and throwing the butt into a sand-filled bucket beside him.

"What does that mean?"

Shikamaru sighed. "I told Minato what Nar'to told me and… he told me that we wouldn't work out. His son loves him and he loves his son. There's no room for 'nybody to be in the middle."

"Shikamaru," Shikaku said softly, gently rubbing his son's back, "I'm sure you can understand where they're coming from. They're just as close as we are. You know I'd do anything for you, to protect you. That's all Minato is doing; he feels he has to protect his son from being hurt."

The younger man snorted. "Nar'to's already hurt," he mumbled, "he was when I told him that I loved Minato." He ran a hand over his face before finally facing his parent. "I just don' get it, dad. I mean, why didn' Minato talk to Nar'to first or tell me that he'd try to work something out? Why'd he… jus' break it off?" Tears filled desperate dark eyes as they looked at their father.

The older Nara sighed. "I'm sorry, Shikamaru. We can't change choices people make and we can't decide for them. Minato did what he felt was best, for him _and_ Naruto."

Shikamaru breathed heavily a moment, reading his father's expression with his drunken gaze. Small drops of moisture started falling down stained cheeks when he spoke, voice thick, "…but, I love him, dad. How will I live without him?"

Shikaku quickly wrapped his arms around his son as he cried, holding him close and trying to comfort him with soft sounds and gentle strokes across his back. He didn't have an answer; he never would. It was one of those questions that every person needed to find out on their own. He already had, when Yoshino passed away. He too wondered how he would live without her, finding the answer right in front of his face; Shikamaru. In his son he found a piece of his wife was still living and he had to be sure that didn't die as he grew.

Shikaku did hope his son would find the answer he was looking for soon; the journey to find it was not a pleasant one.

//Drink up sweet decadence/I can't say no to you/and I've completely lost myself/and I don't mind/I can't say no to you//

Shikamaru jumped a bit at the knocking on his bedroom door. He glanced at his clock and groaned; he'd only been asleep for a few hours. It was one of the bigger problems he had with these tiring slumps; they actually took away his sleep. He'd spend all night tossing and turning, finally falling into slumber sometime around six in the morning only to wake up, or be woken, by ten or eleven the same morning.

Another louder knock made him release a frustrated sigh before he sat up. "What?!" he almost shouted.

The door opened and his father peeked inside. He gazed at his son with a very worried expression, which the younger man ignored. Those looks from his father were growing to be quite annoying.

"Shikamaru, you've got a visitor," Shikaku said, opening the door and letting another man into the room before shutting it behind him.

The Nara looked up at the new arrival with a bit of curiosity. "Hey Chouji," he greeted to his smiling friend as he repositioned himself to sit on the edge of the bed to let his pudgy friend sit beside him. "What're you doing here?"

The larger man shrugged a bit as he sat. "Just checking up on you, I guess. You haven't been to classes all week."

Shikamaru sighed and looked at the floor beneath his feet. "Yeah, I've just… been going through some stuff and needed a little time to myself."

Chouji nodded, eyes looking at him in a sympathetic way. "I understand, Shikamaru. Having your heart broken will do that."

The Nara raised an eyebrow at the other. "How'd you know about that?" he asked, voice quiet and a little uncertain. "I haven't told anybody."

The little smile on the Akimichi's face left a small warm spot on his friend's heart. "Your dad called me," he explained simply. "He told me everything."

Shikamaru nodded and turned away again, running a frustrated hand through his messy hair; damn father and his mouth. It wasn't like he was hiding it from people. Shikamaru just wanted to wait a little bit, let the pain ease off before he went to his other friends.

"Better him than Naruto, I guess," he mumbled.

Chouji sighed a little. "Naruto's been acting a little weird, actually," he noted. "He hasn't been talking nearly as much and… I've noticed… that he flinches every time he hears your name, Shikamaru."

"That's to be expected, I suppose," the Nara said softly. "He probably feels as bad as I do."

Silence filled the room for several moments, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Shikamaru rarely had uneasy meetings with the slightly larger man. He'd known Chouji practically since birth; saw him more as a distant brother than friend. This was the only person the Nara had actually told, besides his father, about his love for the Namikaze.

Chouji placed an arm around his friend's shoulders, a very comforting smile on his lips. "Look, Shikamaru, I just came over to let you know that I'm here for you and if you need anything, I'm just a phone call away, all right?"

Shikamaru was a little shocked at the tears suddenly in his eyes. He bit his bottom lip and nodded, accepting the hug that was then being given to him by his friend. It just felt so good to know he still had a close friend. Although, it could have been that he was just so damn tired that his body couldn't take it anymore. It had been almost a full week since he'd slept right, since his heart had been broken.

The Akimichi patted his back gently as they separated. "I should probably go. Your dad did say something about you not being able to sleep well."

Shikamaru snorted. "If I can sleep at all."

Chouji tilted his head a little. "What do you mean?"

The Nara rubbed his face within his hands. "Bad dreams, good dreams, regrets…. Anything having to do with a certain blonde and it all chases away sleep."

"You should try some sleeping pills," his friend replied, giving him a worried look.

"And I could quickly grow dependant on them like this, Chouji… or end up doing something really stupid with them."

The Akimichi blinked a moment before his eyes widened with realization. "Shikamaru…."

"Don't worry," Shikamaru tried to reassure the other, "I don't want to really, but like I said, I don't want to be tempted into trying it either." A large yawn stretched his jaw and made a tremble of exhaustion ripple through his body. "But maybe I'm finally tired enough now."

Chouji chuckled and stood, letting the Nara lie down on his bed and even tucking him in, causing his friend to blush. "Get some sleep, Shikamaru," the larger man whispered. "Don't forget to call me if you need anything."

"Got it, man," Shikamaru mumbled back, body quickly settling in for slumber. "Thanks for stoppin' by."

"No problem." They were the last words he heard before darkness overcame him, his soul begging to not be shown the "what ifs" and many different possibilities that weren't worth the effort to think on.

//Shouldn't have let you/conquer me completely/now I can't let go of this dream/can't believe that I feel//Good enough/I feel good enough/its been such a long time coming,/but I feel good//

Shikamaru inhaled the smoke from his cigarette slowly, letting the nicotine leave a slight light headedness within his mind. He leaned heavily on the railing of his balcony, watching the grey sky over the forest as it once again threatened to storm but failing to deliver. Personally, he really would not have minded a good thunderstorm, then he wouldn't be forced out of the house by his friends for no reason, other than he "needed to get out and do something."

The Nara wasn't sure exactly what it was his friends, mainly Chouji and Ino, wanted. He'd started going back to his classes after a week of lying around in bed, and was even sticking around to have a meal or two with the people who he knew cared for him. After all, there was a perfectly logical reason why he didn't want to go out much.

That point had been proven that very day.

Shikamaru took another drag, watching lazily as the smoke blew away on the slight wind swirling around him. He wished he could do that, just float along on an unseen current with the other dead souls of the world. Yet, he knew he'd go crazy after too long.

"Hey man," Chouji softly greeted, joining his friend on the balcony outside his room. "Look, Ino and I are sorry for what happened this afternoon. We didn't notice him until right after you walked out."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Chouji. It wasn't your fault. I just thought…." He sighed heavily, taking another drag and closing his eyes at the familiar jolt of pain that shot through his chest. A sad chuckle left him, making the larger man look at him curiously. "Wouldn't you think that after three weeks the pain would be… _less_, ya know, not all consuming."

The Akimichi shifted his feet. "That's what someone would hope, I'm sure."

"I didn't even talk to him, Chouji," the smoker continued in a quiet tone, "not even eye contact. I simply _saw_ him… sitting there with his son… and I just felt… like my heart was being torn from my chest…." He shook his head, taking another deep breath to quell the tears that were threateningly stinging his eyes. The memory was still so clear, seeing that bright blonde hair at a table close to them, brilliantly blue eyes sparkling with laughter, smile so perfect as he talked with his son.

"It's understandable, Shikamaru," Chouji reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I would have done the same in your situation."

The Nara scowled, once again looking at the forest before him. "It's not just that. I…." He took a final drag and threw the butt into the bucket, vaguely noticing it to be almost full before continuing. "You know, Chouji, I go to bed every night thinking that the pain I feel… will be just a little bit better in the morning. That's how it was… after mom died, but this is different. I wake up and feel the same, if not worse, from the night before. My thoughts are consumed by him, Chouji… and I don't know how to stop it."

The Akimichi rubbed his friend's back, trying to ease him. "Give it more time, Shikamaru. I know you can get through this."

Shikamaru nodded, silently grateful for the man beside him. "I guess I just hoped… that I'd made some kind of impression on him, ya know? That maybe he'd see that… I was worthy of him."

His slightly larger friend gently wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly to his chest. "You are worthy of _anybody_, Shikamaru. If he truly doesn't want you, then it's _his_ loss, not yours."

The Nara could feel the tears come but did nothing to stop them. "Then why," he whispered against Chouji's shoulder, "do I feel like the one who lost?"

Chouji held him tighter, offering no answer to his question, only comfort at the darkening of his attitude and constant flow of tears.

Shikamaru could not have been more grateful for his friend then right at that moment.

//And I'm still waiting for the rain to fall/pour real life down on me/'cause I can't hold on to anything this good/enough/am I good enough/for you to love me too?//

A knock on his door made Shikamaru look up from the game of shougi he'd been playing with the Akimichi. He'd been having a pretty good day, his friend had even made him laugh a real laugh earlier on; the darkness seemed to have been finally easing off on him after almost a full month. His pleasingly plump friend was right, the Nara finally realized. More time and no more run-ins with the blonde seemed to be working.

Shikaku opened the door to his son's room, giving both of the young men inside a somewhat troubled look. "Shikamaru… there's somebody here to see you."

The younger Nara leaned back, trying to look around his father, wondering who it could be to make his father seem upset. "Who is it?"

"He said it was very important," his father replied, stepping aside to let the person inside the room.

Shikamaru's eyes widened, the darkness that had been slowly leaking away flooded his heart with a crushing rush, making him flinch and look away. Tears wanted to burst free of his eyes, but he wouldn't let them; he'd at least gained control of them of the past few weeks. His dark eyes focused on the sliding glass door, noticing the still gloomy weather.

His voice was quiet when he spoke. "What do you want… Naruto?" he asked as heavy raindrops started falling from the sky.

//So take care what you ask of me/'cause I can't say no//

Song: "Good Enough" by Evanescence


	6. In A Time Of Need

In A Time of Need

"Maybe this was a bad idea," Shikamaru noted, silently grateful he remembered to tighten his seat belt as one hand clutched his seat.

"Don't back out on me!" Naruto begged beside him, hands on the steering wheel and determined blue eyes focused on the road. "You promised to come over and talk to him!"

"I meant that I should drive, Naruto!" The Nara held his breath as they turned sharply on the street. It was raining heavily; the wipers were having difficulty to keep the windshield free of water as the blonde raced down the road. "Could you please slow down! The roads are fucking wet, idiot!"

"But we need to get to my house!"

"Damn it, Naruto, I doubt he's gonna take off! Just… at least go _five_ over the speed limit instead of _fifteen_! I don't want to wind up as road kill!"

"Okay, okay, grandma!" Naruto whined, finally slowing enough for the brunette to feel comfortable. "I really do appreciate you doing this, Shikamaru," he added. "It means a lot."

The Nara sighed, trying to quell the dread he felt deep within his chest. "I just hope you're right."

"I wouldn't have bothered you unless I was certain. I mean, come on! I live with him! I think I know when something's bothering him."

"Yeah, sure," Shikamaru whispered, dark eyes looking through the rain drenched window to gaze at the passing houses. A slightly uncomfortable silence floated around them for a few minutes, until the blonde pulled into the driveway.

"Damn it," Naruto complained, coming to a stop just outside the garage, parking behind a candy apple red colored convertible, which was parked nicely _inside_ the garage. "That old pervert took my space!"

The Nara raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. He figured he really didn't want to know who the other was talking about. He sighed softly and unbuckled his seat belt, once the engine was turned off, and gave the blonde a concerned look. "Naruto… are you sure about this?"

The Uzumaki pulled out his cell phone and looked at the face, barely glancing at the brunette. "Sure about what?"

Shikamaru looked at the carpeted floor beneath his feet. "Are you okay… with me making up with your dad?"

It was Naruto's turn to sigh as he set down his phone on the dash. He gave Shikamaru a serious look, although the other couldn't see it. "Of course, Shikamaru. I mean… you haven't seen him like this. I can tell that he thinks about you a lot and this past month… has almost been like déjà vu to me."

The Nara nodded a little. "Yeah you mentioned something like that."

"Do you know what dad was like when my mom died?"

Shikamaru turned to the blonde, feeling a bit curious and empathetic toward him. "No… I'm not even sure we knew each other back then." He watched Naruto lean back in his seat, blue eyes turning sad as he gazed at the windshield, the rain tattering on the glass and the roof over their heads.

"I was ten," Naruto started softly. "I barely understood what was going on, ya know? It took a long time for me to realize that she wasn't going to come home anymore. Dad… was devastated. Of course, to me he'd be all smiles and trying to make the best of the situation, but…." He sighed, blue eyes darkened with sorrow shifting to his hands in his lap. "After he put me to bed… several times I'd wake up during the night and have this… urge to check on him. I always found him in his room, crying, and drinking vodka and lemonade. Sometimes, he'd drink two or even three full glasses of it before falling asleep."

The Nara nodded slightly, understanding how tough it could be. His own father didn't talk for several days and then went on a smoking binge, where Shikamaru himself originally picked up the habit; sneaking a few cigs from Shikaku's stash. "Did you know what vodka was at that age?"

"No," the blonde admitted. "Dad actually had the bottles in the room, which was the only way I found out what he was drinking. I asked my godfather what it was."

"Which I'm sure opened up a whole inquiry about why a ten-year-old would need to know such a thing."

"Yeah," Naruto whispered, "and he wouldn't leave me alone until I told him why I wanted to know. It took a few hours, but I finally spilled the fact that dad was drinking every night. My godfather came out here the next day and the next thing I knew… dad stopped."

"…until a month ago," Shikamaru mumbled, noticing the small movement of the blonde's head as he confirmed his suspicion. His dark eyes glanced at the convertible in the garage and nodded toward it. "And that would belong to your godfather?"

Again the Uzumaki slightly nodded. "He's… supposed to send me a text message when he's done talking with dad."

Shikamaru held back a groan; that meant there was no need to rush over here. He had pissed off his dad and Chouji by following up on the blonde's "urgent" request. Being as protective as they are, they strongly insisted that he not go, or to at least have one of them tag along. The Nara knew, however, that this kind of situation called for privacy, not vengeful fathers or friends looking over the "victim's" shoulder.

He squinted a bit at the license plate on the red car, having a little trouble reading it through the rain still pouring onto the windshield. "What the hell does that say?" he mumbled. "Lover boy?"

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah. He actually has another car with plates that say 'Love Toad.'"

The Nara raised an eyebrow. "Love toad?"

"Well, he owns his own publishing place, the same one that published the books he wrote years ago. He bought out the company and calls it 'Love Toad Publishing.' Although, all he prints now is adult stuff."

Shikamaru blinked. That name did sound familiar…. "I probably have a few items from that company," he murmured, trying to keep the blush from his cheeks.

The blonde chuckled again. "Who doesn't?"

A piercing ring sliced out the silence in the car, both men jumping, even as Naruto grabbed his cell and quickly reading the message. Worried blue eyes slowly rose to meet nervous dark ones.

"We can go in, now," the blonde whispered.

Shikamaru swallowed a bit and nodded. His heart started pounding as he opened the door. The rain didn't even bother him; the Nara actually cherished the time it took to walk to the entrance to the house in the downpour. While the water drenched him, all he thought was that he was outside and not dry inside, where the man who'd broke his heart was standing.

He followed the blonde to the door, but gently grabbed his arm before the other could open it. The Nara gave Naruto a suspicious look as blue eyes gazed at him with a worried curiosity.

"What?" the blonde asked, voice sounding a little too small.

Shikamaru raised a curious eyebrow. "Exactly… what did that message say?"

The Uzumaki blinked. "What message?"

The brunette resisted the very strong urge to sigh and gently smack the other. "The text message your godfather sent you."

"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed, blue eyes looking away as he recalled no more than a few minutes ago. "Uh… 'come over now, I'm almost done.'"

This time Shikamaru did sigh. "Then he's probably not expecting us to show up for another ten minutes or so, right? He thinks you're still at my house."

The blonde took a moment to think about it. "…I guess."

"Okay then." The Nara reached into his coat pocket and retrieved his pack of cigarettes, lighting up a stick before putting them away again.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked in a whiny fashion, placing a hand on his hip and scowling at the other.

Shikamaru took a long drag. "It will help calm my nerves a bit okay?"

"What's there to be nervous about?"

He shook his head, rubbing his temple a little too roughly before he locked gazes with the blonde. "In case you've forgotten," the Nara said, "the last time I spoke with him, things… didn't turn out so well. And it wasn't much different with you." He took another drag.

"Man, that was a month ago!" Naruto argued. "Things changed! …_I_ changed."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow again. "Did you? So this won't bother you at all anymore? Four weeks ago, you were pissed at the idea of me dating Minato and now you're pushing me to do it! Maybe dad and Chouji were right… there might be something else going on here."

"That's not true!" the blonde almost shouted as the Nara inhaled more smoke. "I already told you, Shikamaru, I love my dad! I will do anything for him! I… want to see him happy," he said in a more gentle tone.

"You can't be sure that I can do that, Naruto," Shikamaru whispered.

"Yes, you can," Naruto said, a smile pulling at his lips and determination shining brilliantly within blue eyes. "Ya know, I almost had dad sober once… until he saw you at the restaurant."

Shikamaru almost choked on the inhale. Minato had seen him there?

"I had him in a great mood, too," the blonde continued, "but then he noticed you leaving the building. His eyes even trailed you down the sidewalk. It was then I realized… that you're the only one who can give me my father back."

"Despite the fact that _you_ love me," Shikamaru stated, taking another drag.

Naruto nodded. "But I love my dad more."

The sound of the rain still falling around them filled the air as both men were silent, the Nara trying to figure if the blonde standing before him really meant what he said. Was he truly over Shikamaru enough to hand over his father? He figured in the negative on that, but the fact that Naruto had gotten the Nara _himself_ was all he really needed to know that the blonde really wanted to see his father happy and alcohol-free again, and was willing to go to any lengths to do so.

'_Some sacrifice, though,_' Shikamaru thought, taking the last inhale on the cigarette and throwing the butt onto the water-drenched walkway they had taken to get to the door. '_Placing his father's happiness before his own… that takes guts._' He watched the burning embers quickly fizzle out in the rain, then turned back to the blonde.

"All right, Naruto," he stated, "I can't make you any promises… but I will try… for both our sakes."

Naruto gave the other a bright smile before turning back to the door and twisting the knob.

'_Here goes nothing,_' the Nara thought, his heart starting a franticly nervous pace within his chest as they stepped over the threshold.


	7. When Morning Comes

When Morning Comes

'…_how can he still be so beautiful?_' It was the first thought that ran through Shikamaru's mind as he followed Naruto into the kitchen and spotted the older blonde, leaning against the counter, arms crossed as he listened to another man standing beside him. The stranger had long, white shaggy hair, which was tied back in a futile attempt to tame it. He was a bit taller than the focus of the Nara's affection, eyes dark with red marks that ran down the sides of his face.

As Naruto gently greeted them, dark blue eyes immediately rose from their gaze at the floor to instantly lock onto Shikamaru. The sorrow flowing freely within them made him want to wrap his arms tightly around the older blonde's broad shoulders and comfort him. Dark circles accompanied the eyes and made him look even worse, in turn making the urge within the Nara to increase as well; he never wanted to see the man he loved so deeply like this.

'_It's because of me._' The small notion made Shikamaru's heart pulse painfully. '_He looks like that… because I…._' Now he wanted to apologize, try and set things right, and if that meant never seeing the love of his life ever again, well….

"Shikamaru!" came a harsh whisper along with a not-so-gentle poke to his arm.

The Nara finally released the gaze he had still been locked in with the older blonde to look at Naruto. His friend's blue eyes held a little concern as he indicated the white-haired man. "That's Jiraiya; my godfather."

Shikamaru merely nodded to him, not even able to pull off a small smile as his eyes darted once again to his heart's desire. Those saddened blue eyes never seemed to have left him.

A heavy silence fell around them as the Nara and Namikaze continued to stare at each other, as if being able to read exactly what they had felt and experienced over the past four weeks. The smell of alcohol was thinly drifting around them, and Shikamaru could see a few empty glass bottles sitting beside the sink, right behind the older blonde. The labels had been taken off, but it didn't take a big genius to figure out what they once contained.

Shikamaru actually saw a glass, still half full of lemonade sitting on the island counter separating them. He was fairly certain that there was more in that glass than mere lemonade.

Jiraiya clapping his hands made the Nara slightly jump.

"All right," the white-haired man said, voice almost too loud and cheerful, "we'll just leave you two alone to sort this out. Let's go, Naruto." He walked to his godson and grabbed his arm, almost dragging him from the house, his words being heard even down the hall. "I'll take you to that new stripper's joint in town. I know you'll love it!"

Even Naruto's protests didn't bring the usual roll of the eyes or exasperated sigh from the Nara. He just continued to stare as the silence started beating unpleasantly against his ears. He found himself feeling grateful for the small rolls of thunder from outside as the minutes slowly dragged on. For a moment, he thought of bailing. Shikamaru really didn't owe anybody anything; _Minato_ broke up with _him_ after all.

However, he had promised Naruto to try, but what to say? "I'm sorry" didn't seem appropriate and neither did "you want to get back together?" Shikamaru struggled for a long while, trying to find the right words to use without being too forward or too neutral. But something needed to be said! Damn, was it this hard when he had been learning how to talk as an infant? Knowing dozens of words and phrases, but never sure on which would be the best to say first? Gah! Shikamaru felt as though he was going to go insane! Why was this so fucking hard?!

His dark eyes finally dropped to the floor a moment as he shifted his feet. Something had to be said. Sighing, he decided to just keep it simple and looked back up into blue orbs still drowning in sorrow and licked his suddenly dry lips, noting that his tongue was pretty dry as well, and hoped his voice wouldn't be as small as it felt.

"Hi."

Minato blinked a moment before he whispered, "…hello."

A bit of the uncomfortable atmosphere lifted and Shikamaru suppressed a sigh of relief. Carefully, not sure if he'd be allowed the distance, he walked around the island separating them, leaning against it before the older man. From that length, he could smell alcohol heavier with a hint of lemons. He had a small feeling that the blonde was drinking a bit more than the last time.

"So," Shikamaru said softly, hoping he wouldn't be crossing his boundaries by saying such a thing, "Naruto tells me you've been acting like you did when you lost your wife."

Those despairing blue eyes locked onto his dark ones. "I feel like I lost her," Minato whispered, "…all over again."

Shikamaru nodded, dropping his gaze to the floor once more. Naruto told him his dad had been devastated by the loss of his mother. It would make sense; Minato was probably very much in love with the woman who bared his child. However, that would mean… that the older man, in doing the same thing as when his wife died, had… very strong feelings for the one he was trying to forget with drinking.

'_He couldn't,_' the Nara thought, a small scowl touching his face. '_It's not like we had ever been close. How could he have possibly—?_'

"Is something wrong?"

Shikamaru was jolted from his thoughts at Minato's voice. Blue eyes were gazing at him curiously as he slightly shifted his feet.

The Nara looked at the older man for a brief moment before glancing at the bottles behind him. "…not really," he finally replied. "Will you stop drinking?" The question slipped passed his lips quickly, as if something else inside him knew it was time to start getting blunt. In all reality, the blonde knew why the younger man was there. Naruto wanted them to get back together, and Shikamaru had just laid down a ground rule.

Ocean blue eyes widened just the slightest bit, before the hint of a smirk touched frowning lips. "Will you stop smoking?" Minato asked, laying down a rule of his own.

Shikamaru barely noticed the small smile on his face as he reached for his cigarettes, pulling them free of his coat pocket.

Minato reached around him, their bodies almost making contact as he grabbed the glass of lemonade and vodka.

The Nara placed the lighter back into his pocket; he could always give it away, as he flipped open the pack and butt-side down, dropped the tobacco into the mixed drink. He kept his hand over the top of the glass to be sure the cigarettes soaked up all they could while contaminating what was left. A slight tremor rippled down his spine as a warm, sun-kissed hand was placed over his.

Shikamaru looked up and saw the sorrow start to fade away from those perfect blue orbs, a brilliant smile slowly spreading onto that gorgeous face. The more he stared into the older man, the easier it was to read him. Without saying a single word, he could tell Minato was telling him that he would no longer drink in excess, unless it was a special occasion. It was a vow of the heart, and it almost made the Nara want to cry at how happy it made him.

In turn, Shikamaru silently conveyed that he would never smoke again, and if he did, the older man had permission to smack or punish him in any way he would see fit. It was his forever vow that he intended to keep.

Minato's lower lip trembled a bit as he took the glass filled with soggy cigarettes and ruined lemonade, placing it on the counter behind him. Turning back to the younger man, Shikamaru couldn't help but sigh heavily as two arms were wrapped around him. He had almost forgotten how warm the older man was.

Hot breath tickled his cheek, and he realized his eyes were closed. Opening his dark orbs, Shikamaru was immediately sucked in by the older man's gaze. The blue flickered happily at him, sending wave after wave of tenderness toward him, filling his heart with joy.

'_I'm such a fucking schoolgirl,_' his mind whispered before soft, warm lips gently, tentatively, touched his own.

A quiet moan left him as Minato put more into the kiss, moving his mouth carefully along the younger man's before asking for permission to enter with the tip of his tongue.

Shikamaru gasped at the feeling; it had been too damn long! He eagerly sucked the muscle into his mouth, his arms tightening around the older man's waist as one of Minato's hands wandered to the back of his neck, gently pulling him closer and kissing harder. Another moan rumbled in his chest at the feel of it. The Nara knew he'd never be able to fully describe the way this man turned him on by merely touching and kissing him.

He made a small sound as he was gently pushed against the counter behind him; the blonde's other hand slowly creeping down to rest on his ass, softly squeezing the clothed flesh. It caused Shikamaru to thrust his hips against the older man's, sending another ripple of excitement up his spine at feeling the hardness within Minato's pants. The Nara also trailed his hands down to cup the blonde's buttocks, their tongues still rubbing suggestively against each other.

Minato was the one to break away, panting softly against the younger man's lips as they stared into each other's eyes. His hand gently trailed up into the Nara's hair and pulled the tie away, not breaking eye contact as he whispered, "Bedroom… now."

The words made Shikamaru shiver. It was as if the past four weeks had never happened. He eagerly followed the older man to the stairs and ascended to the master bedroom. Once inside, Minato closed the door behind the younger man and proceeded to close the curtains on the windows, blocking the view of the thunderstorm outside.

Shikamaru found himself unable to move for a moment. It was really happening…. He couldn't believe that he was actually going to be with this man he had admired for so long. He watched as the older man quickly strode over to the nightstand in the artificially lit room, opening a drawer and pulling out a few long stick candles. Carefully, he placed them onto the small table and lit them with a tiny lighter before turning back to the younger man.

Minato gazed into the Nara's dark eyes with a strong look of lust that made him tremble again. The older man walked toward him, never breaking eye contact as he slowly came to stand before the younger man. The blonde reached over the other's shoulder, effectively turning off the lights and encasing them in darkness.

"Take off your coat," Minato whispered. "Stay a while."

Shikamaru released a shaky breath, eyes slowly adjusting to the flickering light on the opposite side of the room as he slowly obeyed. The garment slipped from his shoulders and he tossed it to the side, hearing the small noise it made as it fell to the ground.

His dark orbs focused on the man before him, merely a silhouette against the candles from behind him. Still, the younger man could see the body move, arms reach above his head and another soft sound reached his ears. The Nara swallowed thickly and raised a shaky hand to tentatively touch soft skin. His other appendage was soon to follow as he ran his fingers over the delicate flesh of the bare chest, greatly enjoying the feel of muscles just beneath twitching. A gentle moan resounded from above him and caused Shikamaru to sigh again, eyes closing as the older man placed his own hands at the younger's waist.

Slowly, as if he was certain Shikamaru would run away if he moved too quickly, Minato grabbed the hem of the Nara's shirt and gently pulled it up and off, making it disappear into the darkness. His hands began to run along Shikamaru's skin in a way that had him taking in shaky breaths and causing his hands to start trembling against the older man's chest for a reason he couldn't pin point. He surely wasn't a novice when it came to this kind of thing, but… why was he shaking like a little virgin?

The blonde chuckled lightly in his ear, a shiver racing down his spine at the sound. Minato grabbed his hand and pulled the trembling Nara to the bed, gently ordering him to sit on the sheets. Dark eyes gazed up into beautiful blue, which sparkled in the candlelight beside them. A loving smile was upon those delicious lips as the older man leaned down to tenderly kiss Shikamaru, their tongues meeting only momentarily before Minato left the Nara's lips to trail kisses along his cheek to breathe gently into his ear.

Shikamaru's trembling increased, a small moan escaping his throat at the sensation as his hands immediately went to the blonde's flesh once more. He couldn't seem to get enough of the warm skin, trailing his fingers over well defined pecks and lightly tracing nipples. One appendage seemed more adventurous than the other and gently ran down the older man's side to reach soft buttocks covered by rough fabric.

Minato chuckled again, slowly pulling away and standing before the younger man. His tanned hands reached for the button on his pants and leisurely undid it before grabbing the zipper. Shikamaru's eyes were mesmerized; locked onto those nimble fingers as they pulled it all the way down. Sun kissed hands slowly trailed back up to the waist of his pants and carefully removed the fabric from his flesh, the Nara releasing another shaky breath as he gazed at the older man standing bare before him.

The candlelight flickered in an unsteady rhythm, casting beautiful shadows on the tanned skin of the Namikaze, making the rest of his body shimmer and remind Shikamaru of the finest honey he'd ever seen.

Tentatively, Shikamaru raised his trembling hands to gently grasp the older man's hips, his face moving forward until his mouth touched the soft flesh of Minato's abdomen. He exhaled sharply, kissing the skin beneath his lips, a low moan rumbling in his throat at feeling hardened flesh press against his neck. He trailed kisses up to the blonde's navel, where he began licking the delicious skin, darting the tip of his tongue in and out of the small indention in a very suggestive manner.

Minato moaned above him, a hand combing through his hair as he teased for a few more moments before reluctantly parting his lips from the warm flesh. Dark eyes gazed at the blonde's erection, watching in silent wonder as a clear drop of liquid slowly fell from the tiny opening and the member twitched.

Could it be that the penis in front of him was begging to be sucked? Shikamaru's trembling increased a bit at the thought, another shaky breath leaving him as he licked up the heavenly fluid flowing from this… god.

He slowly wrapped his lips around the pulsating member and began sucking, his heart pounding within his ears, hands clutching tanned hips almost too tightly as he tried to stop their shaking, and dark eyes slipping closed. Shikamaru had almost forgotten how he loved the feel of the blonde's manhood in his mouth, against his tongue, pushing into his throat. It felt so good to have the feeling returned to him that a small moan reverberated in his vocal chords, causing a loud hiss above him and the hand in his hair to pull a little too roughly, making the younger man pull away from his treat.

The Nara looked up to a slightly panting Minato. His cheeks were flushed and blue eyes lightened with desire.

Shikamaru swallowed thickly as the blonde lowered himself to kneel before the younger man. He trailed the hand tangled within the Nara's dark locks down his neck to rest in the middle of his chest, where he gently pushed him back. Shikamaru obeyed, leaning back on his elbows upon the bed and watched with a half-lidded gaze as Minato undid the younger man's pants and gently pulled them off. The Nara raised his hips to help, silently grateful when his boxers were quickly removed as well, even as a blush crept onto his cheeks at being so exposed.

Minato's smile widened as he gazed down at the younger man for a few moments. Without saying a word, the blonde gently told Shikamaru to lay with his head on the pillows, to which the younger of them was eager to follow. Once situated, the Nara watched Minato crawl onto the bed. Shikamaru spread his legs as the older man slowly crept over him, gently pressing their naked bodies together.

Shikamaru gasped, shaking hands grabbing onto the blonde's back as he arched into the body atop him. His hips began moving in a rhythm all their own, rubbing his straining erection against the blonde's as his legs started trembling as well.

'_Wh-why am I shaking so much?_' the Nara wondered, his breathing uneven.

Minato kissed along his neck tenderly, hands running along the younger man's sides and down shaky thighs. "Relax," he whispered against sensitive flesh.

Shikamaru whimpered at the blonde's voice, a shiver rippling down his spine, causing his whole body to tremble for a moment.

Minato moved to gently nip at the younger man's earlobe. "Or are you merely excited?"

The Nara couldn't speak, only managing a guttural whine to escape his throat at the question and a harder thrust of his hips. It was simply inconceivable for the younger man; every word the blonde spoke was like a physical touch to his body. How could that be?

The older man licked up to the top of Shikamaru's ear, lightly nibbling the flesh before whispering, "Do you want me inside you, babe?"

Shikamaru cried out, his body shuddering as his muscles clenched tightly and his seed shot out between them.

Minato chuckled as the younger man caught his breath. "I'll take that as a yes."

The Nara looked away, his face feeling as though it were on fire. "…s-sorry," he whispered. How embarrassing! He'd never had a problem with premature ejaculation before. What a time to get it, too; when he's about to have sex with the man he'd been imagining for so damn long, only to shoot off too soon.

A warm hand cupped his cheek and Shikamaru turned to look into sparkling blue orbs shining brilliantly into his own. "Never be sorry for that," Minato replied warmly. "It's encouraging and… I can help you out with it, Shikamaru." The blonde's plump lips descended onto the younger man's, sharing with him a delectable kiss before moving down his body.

Shikamaru's eyes fell closed as he felt a warm, wet tongue begin licking up his spilled cum. He gasped softly as a large hand wrapped around his flaccid member and gently began stroking the sensitive flesh. His back arched as what felt like lightning shot from his groin. The blonde spent several minutes teasing him until his length was standing erect once more and the Nara was gasping against the pillows, almost begging for his release.

It was there that Minato sat up, making the younger man whimper at the loss of contact. "Turn over," he gently commanded, reaching for the nightstand.

Shikamaru did as was asked, rolling onto his stomach and rising onto his hands and knees to peer over his shoulder and watch the older man. The blonde grabbed a small bottle of lubrication and quickly wetted his fingers, grinning at the Nara as he circled his entrance with a slick digit.

The younger man moaned, spreading his legs a bit more and pressing back as the finger slowly slid into his body. It felt so good! How could the blonde's fingers alone feel so breathtaking gliding within him?

Shikamaru moaned again as a second digit was added and started moving his body to impale himself upon those glorious fingers. His head dropped to the pillows as he leisurely enjoyed the feeling of being penetrated by the older man.

A loud ringing startled the Nara and he thrust his hips back a little too hard, the fingers within his ass brushing the spot inside him and causing him to cry out, moving frantically a moment to try and get that sensation again.

Minato raised a curious eyebrow as he gazed over the bed, the direction of the ringing, before reaching over the edge, his hand never leaving the younger man's entrance as he grabbed the source of the noise. Shikamaru's eyes widened as the blonde flipped open the Nara's cell phone and answered the call.

"Hello?" Minato said, halting his movements for a moment. "Hey, Shikaku." He smirked at the younger man and started thrusting his fingers a little too roughly within him.

Shikamaru bit his lip and buried his face into the pillow to silence the noises that wanted to escape his throat. No way would he let his father hear such sounds.

"Yeah, he's here…. Well, he's a little… _occupied_ right now." Minato shoved his fingers in deep, curling them and purposely pressing onto the younger man's prostate. Shikamaru cried out into the fabric, hands gripping the sheets tightly as the blonde continued to tease him.

"He's um…." Minato sighed. "The truth is, Shikaku, that Shikamaru is naked on my bed with two of my fingers up his ass."

The Nara's eyes whipped open and he quickly turned his head to give the older man an embarrassed look. "Minato!" Another cry of pleasure slipped passed his lips as another digit joined the other two, Shikamaru not being able to help but push back against them. He dropped his head back onto the pillow, whimpering in defeat.

"Ah make that _three_ fingers," the blonde said, chuckling into the phone.

Shikamaru could hear his father's laughter over his cell. Damn, he'd never be able to face him again without blushing!

"Yeah, that'd be all right," Minato continued. "Sure, Shikaku…. I'll try, but I think your son likes it rough." He emphasized his point by thrusting his fingers harder. The Nara cried out again, back arching and moving his hips faster. "All right, Shikaku, we'll talk to you later. Bye." He closed the phone and placed it carefully onto the nightstand. "You have a very caring father, babe," he whispered to the younger man. "You are very lucky to have him."

"I-ah!-I know… Minato," Shikamaru moaned.

"Good." The blonde removed his fingers from the Nara, a small sound escaping his lips at the loss. Minato gently grabbed the younger man's hips and sighed with a slight shiver. "I'm going to enter you, babe."

Shikamaru gasped and arched as the blonde's hard length began penetrating his body. It stung a little, but just having the older man inside him was enough to double the pleasure as he slowly sheathed himself completely. The Nara panted heavily, fists white knuckled as he griped the sheets tightly, a bit frustrated at not being able to move.

"Ah Shikamaru," Minato moaned, once his member was fully encased within the younger man. "You're tighter and hotter than I remember." He carefully pulled out just a fraction and pushed back in.

"Oh god!" Shikamaru almost screamed, his head falling into the pillow again as he tried to thrust his hips back against the blonde's length. He needed more damn it! The fullness he felt was fucking heavenly, as if Minato's dick had been made specifically to fill his ass. It rubbed along his prostate perfectly, sending several ripples of pleasure coursing through his body continually and making moans and whimpers fall from his parted lips as he struggled to breathe.

Minato bent down, bracing his weight by placing his hands upon the bed on either side of his younger lover and began placing tender kisses on the Nara's back. "Babe, you feel so good." He began moving his hips a little faster, softly panting against Shikamaru's sweaty flesh.

"Fuck Minato!" The younger man felt he was going insane. The pleasure kept increasing, making his mind nothing more than a heavy, three pound paper weight and his limbs wet noodles. A coil of heat simmered within his abdomen, tightening with every thrust of the older man's hips and causing his vision to cross. The blonde increased his speed, Shikamaru moaning louder and raising his face from the pillow as his body suddenly tensed, all noise being blocked from his ears as colors danced before his pinched shut eyes as his essence spilled from him again, staining the sheets beneath them.

Shikamaru panted heavily, his world spinning around him. This also was a new experience; he'd never had an orgasm without knowing it was coming before. He slowly opened his eyes to find himself looking up at the blonde still between his legs. When had he been turned onto his back? The question was left unanswered as Minato roughly shoved his still hard penis back into the Nara's heat, making him arch almost painfully and cry out.

The older man quickly leaned down to cover Shikamaru's lips with his own, giving him a breathtaking kiss… _literally_. Shikamaru couldn't breathe, his lungs starting to burn with protest for some oxygen. However, he wrapped his arms around Minato's shoulders to hold him close as long as possible. His lungs could wait; as long as the man atop him was breathing, Shikamaru felt as if his breathing wasn't necessary.

He gasped loudly when Minato eventually pulled away, panting heavily as he felt the dark realm of unconsciousness touch his pleasure-filled mind. If there was one thing he refused to have happen, it was to pass out on his blonde lover. He moved his hips a bit and groaned, finding his manhood already erect for the third time that evening and wanting more of what Minato could give him.

"I want to hear you," the blonde whispered, gently grabbing Shikamaru's legs under the knees and spreading him wider. "Scream for me, babe."

Shikamaru did just as was asked as Minato started thrusting ruthlessly within him, slamming against his prostate, their flesh slapping against each other as sweat glistened on their bodies. He cried out and shouted relentlessly to his lover, eyes closed as he focused on the feel of the older man gliding so easily within his tight entrance.

Minato leaned over him a bit and started thrusting at a different angle, sending wave after wave of constant bliss pouring along the Nara's every nerve. His head thrashed against the pillow, sweat running constantly down his face as he struggled to hang onto what very little control he had left. At the very least he wanted to wait until his lover was ready to cum too, this time.

"Oooh babe," Minato groaned, his pace quickening to a speed the Nara knew he'd never match. "Fuck, I'm gonna cum!"

Shikamaru screamed his lover's name, long streams of white spurting from his erection and splattering on his chest, most of it pooling around his navel. His seed kept erupting from his penis as the older man filled him with his hot cum, moaning low in his throat and rubbing the Nara's thighs.

Blue orbs watched in amazement as he gave a few final thrusts, Shikamaru's softening member still pouring globs of white onto his abdomen, only stopping when the blonde finally removed himself from the younger man's slick hole. Minato sighed shakily as he looked at the mess upon Shikamaru, nearly hardening again as the pool of cum started running down his sides there was so much f it.

"Fuck Shikamaru," the blonde whispered in a hoarse tone, "I've never seen anybody cum so much."

Shikamaru merely whimpered pathetically. He panted heavily to try and calm his still racing heart, his vision seemed to be permanently crossed and his body felt like boiled noodles made of steel. He began to wonder what exactly it was he'd gotten himself into by being with this man sexually. The Nara would be quick to admit it was the best sex he'd ever had, but he also hoped that all future sex with Minato wouldn't be _this_ mind blowing. He'd wind up with permanent brain damage, Shikamaru was sure.

Warm arms wrapped around his spent body as he started drifting off to sleep. Words came to his ears as he fell into darkness.

"I love you."

Shikamaru was… _sore_. It seemed as if his whole body ached as he stretched under the covers. He smiled softly to himself, though; the soreness was very welcome. He opened his sleepy eyes to a dimly lit room. The curtains on the windows had been parted and sunlight streamed into the room, catching golden locks of the man lying next to him and causing his smile to widen.

The sleeping blonde shifted on the bed, arm reaching out slightly and grasping at the small distance separating the men. A scowl touched Minato's beautiful face and his arm reached out further to grasp the Nara's waist. Minato mumbled incoherently and pulled the younger man to him, pressing their sticky bodies together and sighing contently.

Shikamaru chuckled, making sleepy blue orbs open to gaze at him. "Good morning, Minato."

Minato smiled. "Morning babe."

The Nara blushed at the nickname. He cleared his throat a little and ran a hand through the older man's mussed up mane. "Sleep okay?"

The blonde slowly nodded. "I had a dream, Shikamaru."

"What kind of dream?"

"Kushina visited me," Minato whispered, fingers reaching up to gently stroke the younger man's cheek as he raised a curious eyebrow.

"How did that go?" Shikamaru asked tentatively, not exactly sure if he wanted to know.

The blonde's smile widened. "She said she was very happy for me. Kushina felt that eleven years had been long enough for me to be alone and… she's glad that I found you."

Shikamaru smiled again. "Good to know she's happy." He moved closer to nuzzle into the older man's neck and sighed happily. "I'm glad you meant what you said last night, too," he whispered.

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it," Minato replied, holding the other close. "I love you, babe."

"I love you, too."

A flash of light surrounded them for a short moment and Shikamaru's eyes widened. He pulled away from his lover and looked at the door of the room to find it open and his father standing within the doorway, camera in hand, and his stupid grin on his face.

"That one's going in the scrapbook!" Shikaku declared.

"Damn it dad!" Shikamaru shouted, sitting up quickly. He flinched at the sharp pain that shot up his spine at the action, his lover chuckling softly beside him. Another flash of light had him seeing spots and a growl rumbled low in his throat. "Stop with the fucking pictures already!"

"Come on, Shikamaru! It's the first time waking up with your new boyfriend; I wouldn't be a caring parent if I didn't—"

"Give me that damn camera!" Shikamaru interrupted, standing from the bed, worrying more about maintaining his balance than the fact that he was nude.

Shikaku merely smiled wider and took another picture.

The younger Nara flinched at the flash. "God damn it! Hand over the fucking camera!" he almost shouted, walking toward his parent.

Shikaku chuckled and managed to shoot off another photo before bolting from the room, his son following him with shaky legs. They jogged down the stairs and passed a shocked Naruto in the kitchen.

The blonde blushed before he started laughing his ass off as Shikamaru chased his father around the table in the buff. "Dad! Give me the camera!" Shikaku laughed again, flash going off once more and darted outside.

Shikamaru stopped at the door, suddenly reminded of his nudity and merely glared hotly as his father took another picture before falling to the grass in a fit of laughter.

Feeling completely humiliated, the younger Nara walked back to the stairs, the sound of Naruto's uncontrolled hilarity ringing loudly around him. Maybe this hadn't been the best idea. Not only did he have to deal with his picture-crazy father, but the practical joker, loud mouthed Naruto Uzumaki as well. This relationship with the man he loved looked to be a future joke at his expense to his friends but… as long as Shikamaru had Minato's heart, it was well worth it.

End!

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